Kingdom Hearts: Shadow of an Empire
by Lord Moldybutt
Summary: Volume III. Sora is finally going to be a father! But just when things look happiest, Sora's past comes back to haunt him as he finds himself going back to that galaxy far far away...
1. Happy News

**A/N: Hello and welcome to _Kingdom Hearts: Shadow of an Empire_. I do apologize for taking so long, but for me, the first chapters are always the most difficult. Hopefully, you'll find it to be worth the wait. Now let's just jump right in, shall we?**

* * *

_Shadow of an Empire_

_A Kingdom Hearts novel_

_Takes place three years after One More Adventure_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Happy News**

"_Sora_!"

Queen Kairi Hikari, now twenty-one years old, ran through the halls of Hollow Bastion as fast as her legs could carry her, _desperately_ trying to find her husband. They had been talking about this for quite some time now, and at long last, it had finally happened! He was going to be _so_ excited!

Three years had passed since the Horned King had attempted to rule all worlds through the power of Kingdom Hearts, and since then, no major crisis had come to threaten the worlds. Sora and Kairi had been left largely at peace, content just to manage their own kingdom. They had even been able to discuss a very important matter that had the potential to shake the very foundations of Radiant Garden... and _all_ worlds, for that matter.

They had discussed the prospect of _children_.

It was an ill-guarded secret that Sora and Kairi had always wanted a child, and they had spoken of it often since their marriage three years ago. And while it was true that Sora and Kairi almost seemed _made_ for parenthood, one grim thought had always stopped them:

What if their child was a _Keybearer_?

Cases of keyblades passing from generation to generation had not been unheard of in the days of old, when Keybearers had roamed freely across the worlds in their attempts to control the ever-present threat of darkness. The power of wielding the keyblade would be passed on from parent to offspring, and the offspring would be expected to carry the parent's mantle as a protector of the worlds. That had always put Sora on edge when it came to children. He didn't want his own child to grow up with the heavy burden of being a Keybearer. Kairi had agreed that she wouldn't want to worry about her child the way she often worried about Sora, but then she had contended that being the Keyblade Master was a very large part of what Sora was. He had been _meant_ to carry that mantle, and it suited him well. If his child was anything like him, then he or she would have no problem with being a Keybearer.

Sora hadn't been able to argue with that logic, and in reality, he hadn't really wanted to. He had _always_ wanted to be a father, and Kairi had wanted to be a mother for just as long. Thus, as Kairi sprinted through every hall and corridor of her home, trying her hardest to find Sora, she had a proud grin upon her face.

Their dream had finally come true.

After searching the grounds of Hollow Bastion for a few minutes, Kairi finally found her husband in the castle courtyard, looking up pensively at the commemorative statue of Merlin the Magician. It was a large statue, and very lifelike, standing ten feet tall and depicting the old wizard with a good-natured smile on his face. It had been completed only two months after the Horned King's defeat, and the following inscription had been scored upon a plaque attached to the statue's base:

_IN LOVING MEMORY OF MERLIN THE MAGICIAN:_

_POWERFUL WIZARD, WISE TEACHER, AND DEAR FRIEND._

A grim smile forced its way onto Kairi's lips. Merlin had been a dear friend, and had served as a source of guidance during the first two months of Sora and Kairi's reign. It was only fitting that Kairi share this happy news with Sora while standing in the shadow of Merlin's statue.

"_Sora_!"

Sora turned toward the doorway and cried out in surprise as Kairi rushed over to him and threw her arms around him, nearly bowling him over as she did so. When Sora regained his balance, he returned Kairi's embrace with a befuddled expression on his face. "_Whoa_, Kairi, what's got into you?"

"Sora," Kairi told him, bouncing up and down with excitement even as Sora held her, "I've been feeling really weird and bouncy lately, and kind of light-headed... so I went to see the doctor this morning, and..."

"Uh-huh." Sora nodded. He remembered Kairi saying something about going to the doctor early that morning, but he had no idea of what could be wrong with her. His eyes grew wide, anticipating what terrible malady his wife could possibly be inflicted with. "What did the doctor say?"

"Sora..." Kairi choked out, though she was so overwhelmed by emotion that she could do little else. She hugged Sora more tightly, her voice cracking as she whispered, "I'm pregnant."

Kairi watched Sora carefully as he took in this information, watching his every little facial expression that told her that his brain was working hard to soak in the full meaning of the words. For a fraction of a second, a pang of doubt pierced her heart as Sora processed everything that a child would mean for them, and she wondered if being a father was what Sora had wanted after all...

After that fraction of a second, Sora broke out into a huge grin. His wild, almost explosive joy dominated his every facial feature as he exclaimed, "Kairi, that's _great_!" And then he kissed her, lifting her off the ground and spinning around once before he set her back down and hugged her even more tightly than before. When he finally drew back for a breath of air, Kairi could almost see the tears of pure joy welling up in his eyes even as he laughed out loud. "Oh _Kairi_," he exclaimed, "do you know what this _means_?"

Had Kairi any doubts left about whether having children was a good idea, they were all dead and buried as she looked into Sora's bright, overjoyed eyes. His good cheer was hopelessly contagious, and Kairi found herself smiling and laughing right along with him. "Uh-huh." she nodded. "You're gonna be a daddy."

"I'm gonna be a _dad_!" Sora repeated as he squeezed Kairi even harder, holding her so tightly that for a moment that she was afraid she would be unable to breathe. But his arms were so _strong_, and his chest was so _warm_... Kairi closed her eyes and hoped for a moment that this embrace would never end.

Sora continued to hold Kairi close, kissing the top of her head and running his fingers through her soft auburn hair. "Oh _Kairi_," he whispered fondly. "I love you--and I will love our baby--more than anything else in the worlds."

"I know, Sora." Kairi told him as calmly as she could, though the elation of their impending parenthood had caused their bodies to tremble and their minds to buzz with a rush happy thoughts, anticipations for the future. "And we love you too."

Sora's grin somehow managed to grow wider, and a tear of utter paternal bliss finally managed to escape his eye and roll down his cheek. "Yeah..." he murmured, placing a hand on Kairi's stomach, where he knew a brand new life was developing... a life that _he_ had helped to bring about.

"_We_."

* * *

The sun shone brightly upon the towering spires of Disney Castle, and a gentle breeze caused the golden flags atop each of these towers to flutter in the wind. A butterfly or two drifted lazily in the sky, wings softly fluttering in the sunlight. The skies were clear and bright, and there was even a bit of romance in the air as Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow enjoyed a picnic for two in the soft, green grass of the tranquil courtyard.

The peaceful outer atmosphere did not in any way reflect what was going on _inside_.

King Mickey sat alone in the Hall of the Cornerstone as he often did, quietly meditating. He had sensed no great darkness in the worlds since the Horned King's defeat three years ago, but one couldn't be too careful in such dangerous times. After all, there was still at least _one_ major threat still at large. Maleficent had not been seen, alive or dead, since her appearance in The Castle That Never Was nearly six years prior, which set the king on edge. Mickey had a sinking suspicion that she was still out there somewhere, though she was most certainly not in the former lair of Organization XIII.

Mickey had searched that castle _himself_ several times.

Still, while Mickey was one of the most clairvoyant of all Keyblade Masters, he was not omniscient; he could only do so much. He continued to spend many hours in quiet meditation, pausing only to occasionally eat, rest, or spend time with Queen Minnie (Disney Castle practically governed itself, so there was little concern there). Having just finished a sumptuous afternoon meal with his queen, King Mickey was hard at work once more.

For the first few minutes, Mickey felt nothing. Even with the Cornerstone of Light amplifying his powers of meditation, it took time for even the most blatant of darkness to come to Mickey's attention. He lingered for a moment longer, waiting for that first little fragment of prophecy to hit.

It hit, and it hit hard.

It came first as a voice, a soft whisper in the deepest recesses of Mickey's heart. Somewhere, so far away that even Mickey could not fathom it, a great darkness was gathering. The voice Mickey heard in his meditation was soft, venomous, and somehow _familiar_.

"_Remember your early teachings, Anakin. All those who gain power are afraid to lose it._"

King Mickey perked up his ears. _Anakin_? The name was familiar enough... a boy in a galaxy far away, with dreams of becoming a mighty warrior... Jedi, they were called.

_"If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi."_

Mickey was thoroughly interested now. He hadn't given that other galaxy so much as a second thought since that dreadful incident just before Sora and Kairi's wedding. He wondered what had become of it since his departure... it seemed to have been under a good deal of political stress at the time.

Mickey opened his heart to this vision, and he could hear more voices.

_"Know the power of the Dark Side."_

_"I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."_

_"The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way."_

_"Don't listen to him, Anakin!"_

_"He could actually... save people from death?"_

_"There is much fear that clouds your judgment."_

_"Soon, I will have a new apprentice... one far younger and more powerful."_

_"Remember what you told me about your mother? And the sand people?"_

King Mickey now clutched his hands to his head, silently imploring the voices to cease. Though he tried with all his might to cut off his meditation, it was as though the information was being force-fed directly to his heart. The voices went on, faster, louder...

_"Annie... I'm pregnant!"_

_"Anakin is the father, isn't he?"_

_"Please... just help me save Padmé."_

_"I have the power to save the one you love! You must choose!"_

_"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."_

_"Anakin... you're breaking my heart!"_

_"You turned her against me!"_

_"It seems... in your anger... you killed her."_

_"Obi-Wan... there's good in him. I know... there's still..."_

_"Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... __**Vader.**__"_

King Mickey tried to stand, to flee this quiet room of meditation, but he only fell to his knees again in agony. His head was about to split open, and his heart was burning with conflicting energies of light and darkness. The voices would not stop, and the king feared that he would go mad. But at last, out of the droning of a thousand nameless voices, a friendly voice called out to him.

"Mickey!"

King Mickey was jolted from his trance and whipped around faster than the eye could follow. Queen Minnie was standing at the foot of the stairs leading up to the audience chamber, her face beaming with delight. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but you just _have_ to hear this!"

Mickey laughed out loud with sheer relief. _Interrupting_? She had just saved him from madness! Nevertheless, Minnie's blissful mood aroused his curiosity, and he raised a brow as he approached her. "What is it, Minnie?" he asked.

"Sora and Kairi just contacted us!" Minnie exclaimed. "They're going to have a baby!"

"_What_?" Mickey gasped, scarcely able to believe it. This was certainly a pleasant surprise! Mickey had always known that Sora and Kairi would one day have a child, but to hear that it was actually happening... it was the most joyous news he'd heard in a long time. And, though he did not express it aloud, this particular child interested him. The offspring of the Keyblade Master and the seventh Princess of Heart... even in the olden days when Keybearers were everyday sights, such a union had never been heard of. Keybearers had once harbored a tendency to marry their own kind, and the Princesses of Heart had once done the same. The child of Sora and Kairi had far too much potential to be taken lightly. He did not tell Minnie this right away... that could wait until a later time. For now, all he asked was, "Does anybody else know?"

"You're the first one _I've_ told. Kairi said that Sora was about to tell Riku about it. I thought we could tell Donald and Goofy together--maybe that way we can keep them from getting _too_ excited."

King Mickey chuckled at this. "Probably not. Especially not Donald. You know how he gets around babies."

Minnie nodded and flashed her king one of her most beautiful smiles. "That's true--and I can't imagine _Daisy_ being able to stay very calm either. They'll probably have the baby shower all planned out before we even get to Radiant Garden!"

The monarchs of Disney Castle shared a good laugh at this before Mickey took his queen by the hand. "Come on, Minnie." he told her. "You know everybody's gonna want to go say hi to the expecting parents."

"I know _I_ do!" Minnie affirmed as she and Mickey ascended the stairs into Disney Castle's audience chamber. But even as they walked off to tell their friends of the fantastic news of Sora and Kairi's child, Mickey's thoughts once again turned to his disturbing meditation. Mickey had no doubt that the voices he'd heard had truly come from that other galaxy far far away. But if such terrible things were happening, what could he have _possibly_ missed in only three years?

Probably, Mickey presumed, a very good deal.

* * *

The world of Prydain had been relatively peaceful since the Horned King's death three years ago. A new High King had been crowned soon after Sora and company had departed from the world, and his new castle, Caer Dathyl, had been under construction since then. It was to be located in the Eagle Mountains, decently far from the mountains surrounding Annuvin, and as far as anyone knew, the Horned King's realm was abandoned still.

Thus, it was only a friendly visit that brought Master Riku and his apprentice, Taran, to the quaint little cottage of Caer Dallben. More specifically, it was a chance for Taran to see Eilonwy again.

While Riku, now twenty-two years of age, had changed little over the course of three years, both Taran and Eilonwy had done a bit of growing up. Taran, now a strapping lad of sixteen years, had trained much in the ways of being a Keybearer, and had even begun to use basic magic (King Mickey himself had instructed him in this, since Master Riku's mystical knowledge lay strictly in the dark arts). Taran showed promise as a warrior, and even Eilonwy had commented on his newfound maturity. "There's something different about you..." she had said. "It's--well, I can't quite say. I mean, unless you told someone they'd never guess you were an assistant pig-keeper. Not that you aren't a good assistant pig-keeper, because I'm sure you're the best in Prydain, but now there's something _more_."

Eilonwy herself had developed into a fine young woman. She was still quite talkative, and indeed still had a tendency to say whatever happened to be on her mind, but she had not been without her own subtle changes. Since the Horned King's downfall, she had come to dwell at Caer Dallben, and had taken upon herself the duties of scullery maid. Dallben cared for her just as he had for Taran, and in due course, she had come to love the old farmhouse. Her feelings toward Taran remained the same, and she looked forward to his visits. These were few and far between, but when they did occur, Taran would often stay in Prydain for as long as a month before returning to Disney Castle. While Taran would keep mostly to Caer Dallben during his stays, Riku (who often accompanied Taran) would spend his days exploring all over Prydain. Before long, he would know more about the world than most of its own inhabitants.

And so it was that Riku found himself wandering through the Forest of Idris, the massive woodland just outside the Horned King's domain. Huntsmen of Annuvin had once roamed free here, but since their passing, the forest was a relatively safe place for an experienced Keyblade Master to explore. The woods were calm as Riku made his way slowly and surely through the undergrowth, hardly making a sound as he went.

Suddenly, Riku felt a small vibration in his coat pocket. Someone was calling him _now_, of all times? Riku sighed as he removed his cell phone from his pocket. "Hello?"

"_Riku! Guess what!"_

Riku was taken aback. Sora was on the other end of the line, and he sounded as though he were having some sort of heart attack. "Okay, I give up." Riku replied casually. "What?"

"_You're not gonna believe this!_" Sora exclaimed. Riku could only imagine what had gotten Sora so excited. He got his answer soon enough.

"_Guess who's gonna be a dad_?"

Riku's eyes threatened to pop from their sockets. His mouth flapped uselessly for a moment, and he very nearly dropped his cell phone. When he finally regained his power of speech, he shouted, "No _way_! Are you _really_?"

"_Yup! I just found out a few minutes ago!_" Sora said happily. Riku could picture with perfect clarity Sora's trademark grin that must have been on his face as he delivered this news. "_Isn't it great_? _You're practically an uncle!_"

"Absolutely!" Riku assured him, though in reality, it was only half true. Yes, he was happy that Sora was having a child, after they'd been threatening to do it for so long. But he could not help but feel a sharp pang in his heart knowing that Sora and Kairi were about to start a family, and he remained completely alone. He let none of this show in his voice, however, as he asked, "So how soon can I stop by?"

"_Anytime._" Sora answered. "_I think King Mickey and the rest of the guys form Disney Castle were planning on coming too. So feel free to just show up._"

"Okay, Sora. I'll see you and Kairi soon." Riku told him.

"_See ya, buddy._" Sora replied before hanging up. Riku stuck his phone back in his pocket, and a corridor of darkness opened up before him. He wondered what Taran and Eilonwy would say when they heard about this.

* * *

At Caer Dallben, all was relatively peaceful. Of course, it was never _too_ peaceful when Taran and Eilonwy were together. Although a far cry from their quest three years ago, Taran and Eilonwy were having a little adventure of their own.

It was springtime in the world of Prydain (and in most other worlds, for that matter; no matter how far apart they were, most of the worlds somehow managed to keep their seasons--and even their _times_--almost perfectly synchronized). The apple orchards of Caer Dallben were in full bloom, and the droning of bees filled the air. The apple trees here were some of the most majestic in all the worlds, their towering trunks and far-reaching branches filled to capacity with fat, juicy apples.

Today, Princess Eilonwy had decided to climb one.

Now, Eilonwy and Taran were standing at the foot of one of the grandiose apple trees. Eilonwy looked it over once before clambering onto the first of the thick branches about five feet off the ground. "I'm going to climb to the very top of this tree." she declared as she continued her ascent. "That's the trouble with trees--they change every year and you have to go about learning them again."

Taran crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Must you go to the _very_ top?" he questioned. "What if one of the branches were to give way?"

"Taran of Caer Dallben, you talk as though I'd never climbed a tree before in my life." Eilonwy retorted, going ever higher into the tree. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

Taran opened his mouth for a moment to gainsay her, but he quickly thought better of it. Eilonwy had an indomitable will of her own, and once she got an idea into her head, there was little point in arguing. Taran could only sigh and watch with apprehension as Eilonwy stubbornly made her way higher into the tree. On and on she climbed, and Taran nearly breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost at the top now, so perhaps she could finally come down and--

_Crack!_

Taran's heart froze in his breast. The thin branch at the top of the apple tree had snapped under Eilonwy's weight, and the princess now found herself rushing to meet the hard, unforgiving ground below. She shut her eyes tightly, wondering whether she was quite high enough for the fall to kill her as she came down, down, down...

"_Oof_!"

Eilonwy opened her eyes to find herself alive and unharmed. Taran had managed to catch her, and was now smiling at her and shaking his head. "I _warned_ you not to climb so high." was all he said as he set her down firmly on solid ground.

Eilonwy was speechless for a moment. When she finally spoke again, her words were soft and even a bit unsure. "Taran of Caer Dallben... I do believe you've just saved my life."

"Would you have done any less for me?" Taran asked her, his smile getting brighter.

"I suppose not." Eilonwy answered, catching Taran in a grateful, affectionate embrace. Taran had little time to return this gesture before he heard a corridor of darkness open up behind him. Riku emerged from the corridor and sealed it behind him.

Taran and Eilonwy were surprised, to say the least.

"Master Riku?" Taran questioned, releasing Eilonwy and turning to face his master. "You've returned early."

"I've got a good reason." Riku assured him. "You remember Sora and Kairi from Radiant Garden, right?"

Taran and Eilonwy both nodded. "Yes." Taran answered.

I'm gonna stop by for a while. You coming or staying?"

Taran's eyes widened in shock for a moment. "A baby? Of _course_ I want to come!"

"And I want to come too!" Eilonwy added.

Riku shook his head. "Sorry, Eilonwy. I would take you, but I have strict orders from Dallben not to let you leave the world. We don't want to disrupt the world order any more than we already do."

Eilonwy crossed her arms and huffed, "Of course I _would_ have to miss out on something this important."

Taran placed his hand on Eilonwy's cheek and turned her face toward his. "I'm sure it's nothing. It isn't as though the baby is being born--it's just to celebrate that it _will_ be born. I'll return soon, and I'll be sure to tell you all about it."

Eilonwy seemed to feel better after hearing this. "Very well, Taran." she said with a nod before adding, "But be sure you don't leave anything out."

"I won't." Taran reassured her as Riku opened up a corridor of darkness. The two Keybearers stepped inside, and as they did so, a single thought passed through Taran's head.

If he knew Sora and his friends as well as he _thought_ he did, then this was going to be quite a celebration.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you go. It's the first chapter: nothing too fancy, a little on the short side. As always, if you have questions, feel free to ask, and your comments are always welcome. It is my _hope_ that this third volume of my saga will manage to garner 100 reviews when it is finally finished. _One More Adventure_ came tantalizingly close, but not quite close enough. I have faith that this time, we can pull it off.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	2. Of Parties and Problems

**A/N: What? Are we updating again? Why, I believe I am! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I've been detained by several things in recent days. Hopefully, this will be worth the wait.**

**I can't believe I forgot to do this in the last chapter! I _need_ it! So, here it is:**

**DISCLAIMER: Every year, I ask for the rights to Kingdom Hearts for my birthday, and every year I'm disappointed. Now I feel all sad. But I digress: Kingdom Hearts, Star Wars, and all characters and likenesses thereof do NOT belong to me. They belong to Tetsuya Nomura and George Lucas, respectively (both of whom I think are _geniuses_!). However, I _do_ own the plot lne for this fanfiction series, and any original characters I may put in. Please don't steal them. They're all I have!**

**Now, the long overdue Chapter 2!**

**

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**Chapter 2: Of Parties and Problems**

It was only fifteen minutes after the happy news had been delivered to Disney Castle that the airship _Arbitrator_ was primed and preparing to leave Disney Castle. As expected, Donald, Goofy, and even Daisy had gone overboard upon hearing the news. Disney Castle tradition dictated that the baby shower for Sora and Kairi was to be planned _immediately_, and many of the Disney Castle courtiers aboard the airship were doing just that.

King Mickey was not. He was meditating again.

The lord of Disney Castle was alone in the sleeping quarters of the _Arbitrator_, sitting cross-legged on one of the beds. He hoped that, without the Cornerstone of Light to amplify his clairvoyance, he would be able to focus on whatever was happening in that other galaxy without being overwhelmed. He concentrated, opened up his heart, and waited.

The first sound to enter his mind was a deep, heavy breathing. It went on surely and steadily, never wavering for a moment. It was unsettling to hear for very long, and after a moment, Mickey became afraid. He continued to keep his mind and heart open, however, and at last, a deep voice accompanied the heavy breathing.

"_I find your lack of faith disturbing._"

King Mickey shut his eyes tighter. This voice... it was cold and unfeeling, saturated with darkness. Mickey listened harder, and more voices poured into his mind.

"_The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away_."

_"I want to be a Jedi, like my father before me."_

_"The Jedi are extinct."_

_"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."_

_"I feel a great disturbance in the Force."_

_"You are a part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor!"_

_"We will then crush the Rebellion in one swift stroke."_

_"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."_

_"When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."_

_"This station is now the ultimate power in the universe!"_

_"That's no moon. It's a space station."_

King Mickey opened up his eyes and shook his head sadly. Something was _very_ amiss in that galaxy, and he knew he would be unable to rest until he found out what.

"Mickey, do you think you could give me a hand over here?" came the voice of Queen Minnie. "Daisy wants us to help wrap the gifts for the baby shower."

King Mickey sighed and smiled fondly at his queen. She could not be kept in the dark forever, but he knew that the news of such goings-on in that other galaxy would ruin the joy of Sora and Kairi's impending parenthood. He would wait to speak of his meditations, at least until the party was over.

Surely he could wait that long.

* * *

Sora and Kairi were in the living room of Hollow Bastion's residence wing, trying to at least pick up a little before their guests arrived. Kairi was none the worse for her condition yet, having only conceived the child about twelve hours prior (if her and Sora's assumption was correct). It was two o'clock in the afternoon, approximately half an hour after Kairi had first shared the happy news with Sora that he was going to be a father.

"Well, I think we did a pretty good job." Sora told Kairi, standing back and looking over the living room. He hadn't seen it this clean since he'd first moved in three years ago, which was saying quite a bit.

Kairi nodded. "Yup. Now all we need to do is dust."

Sora's jaw dropped. "Are you _kidding_?"

Kairi shook her head and looked up at him with a smile. "You said you wanted the living room to be clean for everybody, and that includes dusting."

Sora sighed, knowing that there was little point in arguing with his wife. "Fine," he grumbled, "but I won't like it."

Sora's finger twitched, and the Oathkeeper appeared in his hand. Pointing the keyblade toward the center of the room, he cast a very weak Magnet spell, just strong enough to pick up the dust from all the furniture and knickknacks in the room. This collected into a condensed sphere the size of a golf ball, which Sora deftly encased in ice with a Blizzard spell. Sora picked up the frozen ball and neatly discarded it into a wastebasket in the corner. "Done." he said.

Kairi crossed her arms and looked up at him with a raised brow, though a smile still tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Sora, using magic is cheating!"

Sora folded his hands behind his head and grinned. "Uh-uh, Kairi. You just said to dust. You never said _how_."

Kairi's smile grew just a bit wider, but she still tried to maintain some semblance of firmness in her eyes and voice. "I don't know how our baby is supposed to build any kind of character if you keep doing that. You're gonna teach it bad habits."

"I _am_ a bad habit." Sora replied, pulling Kairi close for a quick kiss. "I can't help it."

"Lazy bum." Kairi said coyly. "But I guess you're _my_ lazy bum."

"And just think," Sora added, his smile still bright, "in just nine months, you'll have _another_ lazy bum to worry about."

"Can't wait." Kairi told him, pecking him on the lips once more.

Sora and Kairi suddenly stepped apart as they heard the sound of a corridor of darkness opening up in the center of the room. Riku and Taran emerged from it, smiles upon their faces. "Hey, guys." Riku greeted his friends. "How've you been?"

"You're joking, right?" Sora asked with an enormous grin. "We're _great_! I can't wait till the little guy-slash-girl finally gets here!"

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Riku questioned.

"Not yet." Kairi said. "But there's not really a rush--we don't even know if it's a boy or girl yet."

"True." Riku nodded. He looked around for a moment, and then asked, "Where's Stitch? He's still your pet, isn't he?"

Sora acknowledged Riku with a laugh and a nod. "Oh yeah, he's still ours. He's upstairs pouting right now."

"Pouting?" Taran repeated, speaking for the first time. "Whatever for?"

"Because he's just like a little kid with a new baby brother." Kairi answered. "For the past three years, he's not had to share Sora and me with anybody else. Now that we're having a baby, he thinks he's gonna get left out."

"I tried to tell him that wouldn't happen," Sora explained, "but he wouldn't listen. But he'll get used to the idea eventually."

Riku chuckled a bit at the image of Stitch pouting before he felt a familiar vibration in his pocket. Apparently, he was very popular today. "Could you excuse me for a minute?" he asked Sora and Kairi before he stepped off into the nearby hallway. He answered his phone with a quick, "Hello?"

"_Hey there, Riku!_" exclaimed the voice at the other end of the phone. Riku was surprised--it was Daisy Duck. Since when did _she_ know Riku's cell phone number? Riku had little time to ponder, for Daisy was talking a mile a minute, as usual. "_Look, Riku, I'm gonna have to ask you do me a huge favor. We're on our way to Radiant Garden right now and--Donald, can I see your finger for a second? Thanks! Now where was I? Oh yeah: We're on our way to Radiant Garden and we're wrapping up all the presents, so do you think you could get Sora and Kairi out of the castle for a couple of hours while we set up the baby shower? You will? Thanks. Now I gotta go--Donald's wrapping this present all wrong. Bye!_"

Riku rolled his eyes. As was the norm when talking to Daisy, the silver-haired Keyblade Master had been unable to say a single word. He had no choice but to do as he'd been asked. He heaved a heavy sigh as he stuck his phone back into his pocket and rejoined Sora and Kairi in the living room. "What was that about?" Sora questioned.

"Wrong number." Riku answered casually.

"_Wrong number_?" Kairi repeated skeptically. "Since when did you just start handing out your phone number?"

"It's registered in the Disney Castle phone book." Riku answered. "Everybody on that world knows it." Riku smirked inwardly. That was a lie--a particularly good cover-up, if he did say so himself.

True to form, Sora and Kairi bought it. "Okay, so what now?" Sora asked.

Taran looked at Riku suspiciously. Disney Castle didn't _have_ a phone book. However, a glance from Riku told him to keep quiet about it. "Well," Riku murmured, thinking of the best way to get Sora and Kairi out of the castle, "have you told the guys in the Restoration Committee about this yet?"

Sora slapped his forehead. "I totally forgot! We gotta get to the 7th Heaven!"

Riku raised a brow. "7th Heaven?" he echoed.

"It's a bar Tifa and Cloud opened up recently." Kairi explained. "They put the new headquarters for the Restoration Committee on its second floor, since nobody wanted to use Merlin's old house anymore. It's been finished for about a year now."

"Good grief." Riku muttered. "I gotta start visiting more. Where is it?"

"It's where Huey, Dewey, and Louie's item shop used to be, across from Scrooge McDuck's ice cream parlor." Sora informed him. "You know where that is, right?"

"Sure I do." Riku answered, opening up a corridor of darkness and leading Sora, Kairi, and Taran inside.

* * *

The foursome emerged in the marketplace of Radiant Garden's capital city, in front of a large building that resembled nothing so much as a giant refrigerator, with a window at the front serving as a portal between customers and whatever employee was present at the time. Above this window was hung a sign with a picture of Scrooge McDuck's smiling face. Beside this image were the letters: SCROOGE MCDUCK'S ICE CREAM PARLOR. As the four friends drew closer, they also noticed smaller lettering underneath this large sign. _Radiant Garden Outlet Under New Management--See Tifa Lockhart_.

Riku smirked. Now he knew how Scrooge McDuck was keeping up his ice cream outlet here while living in Disney Castle--he had Tifa running it for him in exchange for a cut of the profit. This also gave Scrooge access to the profits of 7th Heaven, which meant that Scrooge, in essence, had monopolized the food and lodging industry in Radiant Garden's capital. Of course, it was all in a day's work for Disney Castle's resident skinflint.

By the time Riku had processed this information, Sora, Kairi, and Taran were already headed for the door of 7th Heaven. It was two stories high, made mostly of wood. Riku raised a brow tentatively as he looked it over. _Well, at least it's bigger than Merlin's house_.

A bell attached to the door of 7th Heaven jingled as the quartet entered the tavern. Tifa was behind the counter, and instantly gestured for the four to take their seats. "Hi, guys!" she greeted cordially. "Can I get you anything?"

With speed and directness that surprised even herself, Kairi blurted out, "Sea-salt ice cream."

The four others in the tavern looked at Kairi with astonishment. "Kairi," Tifa stated with apparent shock, "I never knew you liked sea-salt ice cream."

"Sorry." Kairi apologized, a sheepish smile on her face. "I just have this craving."

Tifa cast her gaze over to Sora and smiled knowingly. "Sora, is there something you two need to share?"

Sora grinned proudly. "Oh, not much... me and Kairi are just gonna be parents, that's all."

Tifa's eyes grew wide as she absorbed this knowledge. After a moment, without a word to anyone, she ran up the stairs behind the counter as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Taran looked to his three companions in confusion. "Well, _that_ was certainly odd. Is she always like this?"

Kairi shook her head and placed a hand to her stomach. "No. Today's just special."

A moment later, the entire tavern was filled with a high-pitched shriek, the likes of which Riku and Taran had never heard. Sora and Kairi _had_ heard it on occasion (much to their chagrin), so while Riku and Taran leaped from their seats and looked about nervously, the royal couple only heaved a sigh. They knew _exactly_ where the noise was coming from. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and sighed the same exact word.

"Yuffie."

Sure enough, a moment later, the self-professed "Great Ninja" Yuffie Kisaragi appeared before the four in the bar in a puff of grey smoke, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed happily, seizing Sora and Kairi in a spontaneous group hug. "You guys are gonna have a baby and you didn't tell _me_?" Yuffie then released Sora and Kairi, crossing her arms and pouting (or at least it would have been pouting, if she hadn't still been bouncing up and down). "Well, just for that, I'm gonna make you name it after me--even if it's a boy! _Especially_ if it's a boy!"

Before either Sora or Kairi could offer protest, the sound of many more footsteps racing down the stairs reached their ears. Cid Highwind was the first to emerge from the staircase, followed by Aerith, Kuro, Cloud, and Leon. All the members of the Restoration Committee wore smiles upon their faces as they approached the parents-to-be and offered their congratulations.

Tifa emerged a moment later with several bars of sea-salt ice cream. "Here you go, everybody!" she announced. "Ice cream on the house!"

Many shouts and cheers accompanied this exclamation, and everyone quickly delved into their ice cream bars. Taran, who had never before experienced the taste of ice cream, took a liking to it immediately and pledged to one day treat Princess Eilonwy to the frozen dessert. For now, though, he was content to take part in the celebration.

After a time, those gathered in the bar began to follow their own strands of conversation. Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith conversed with Kairi about such things as what the child's name might be, and several guesses were made concerning whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Yuffie steadfastly believed that it would be a girl, while Tifa was more inclined to believe that it would be a boy. That, of course, instantly branded Tifa as a traitor and sexist in Yuffie's eyes, and the ensuing banter brought great amusement to the more passive Aerith and to Kairi, who had just finished her second ice cream bar (she blamed Sora for this, because any child of such a lazy bum would need a _lot_ of sugar to develop).

At the opposite end of the bar, Sora talked with Cloud, Leon, Cid, and Taran about certain other matters--namely, which parent the baby would take after. The question of whether the child would be a wielder of the keyblade always snuck back into the conversation, proving to still be an uneasy subject for Sora. Of course, everyone had assured him that if the baby was anything like its father--or its _mother_, for that matter--then it would do perfectly well for itself in any event. This made Sora feel better; after all, this was exactly what Kairi had told him when they had finally decided to have their baby. Now perfectly secure in his impending parenthood, Sora found it much easier to laugh and joke with his comrades.

In the midst of all this celebration, Riku remained unnoticed as he silently slipped away, unable to take part in either conversation. The light that ruled his heart was glad for this joyous occasion, and more than anything he was happy that his two best friends were finally settling down and starting a family. But in the darkest recesses of his heart, he was deeply conflicted. A familiar voice whispered certain words to him, words that he knew were utterly false, but that a part of him _desperately_ wished to believe.

_That child is rightfully yours_.

Riku knew the voice. He heard it always in his thoughts--always when he thought of Kairi, or of Sora, or of that secret desire he still housed in the darkness of his heart. Oh, how _close_ he had once come to fulfilling that desire. When Sora had sacrificed himself to defeat the Horned King, there had been a moment... a single moment, wonderful and terrible... when Riku had held Kairi in his arms. She had clung to him as a drowning man clings to a plank of wood adrift in the tossing waves, seeking comfort in the face of losing her only love. If Sora hadn't come back, if the Witches of Morva had not traded his life for the Black Cauldron... who knows what may have happened? Perhaps, once the despair of losing Sora had finally run its course and the time came for Kairi to move on, she could have learned to _love_ Riku. Riku could at last have achieved his single unattainable goal. And perhaps, had Sora not returned from the dead, the child developing in Kairi's womb would have a different father. A more _deserving_ father, as the dark voice would try to point out.

All these thoughts Riku entertained, along with many more, all courtesy of his secret desire and the voice that goaded him on. This voice belonged to Xehanort, the man--the _monster_--who signified all that was evil in Riku's heart. Though Xehanort himself had been destroyed, his shadow still remained, locked in the deepest depths of Riku's heart. If Riku ever gave in to his temptation, even _once_, then he knew it could push him past the point of no return. Riku had located the place in his heart where Xehanort was imprisoned; indeed, it was the very same place from which the Guardian had come, along with all the greatest of his dark powers. Unlocking small portions of this inner prison would dramatically increase his dark strength, allowing him to use his jealousy and frustration as fuel for his power. However, without proper restraint, Riku knew that such darkness would inevitably lead to his downfall. The path between light and darkness was a treacherous one, as though he were walking along the edge of a cliff. One wrong step could send Riku plummeting into darkness with no hope of redemption.

_But why should you fear the darkness?_ the shadow of Xehanort reasoned. _You know it's what you want._

No, Riku thought with adamant determination. He would _never_ want the darkness.

_Oh, but you do._ the shadow argued. _You know how great the darkness has made you. Surrender to it, wallow in its power, and you could take anything you want. You could take _her_._

Riku's eyes drifted across the tavern to where Kairi sat, talking and laughing with the other women. Her voice was so _heavenly_, her laugh so _pure_... she was still everything that Riku had ever wanted. Just as he heard Xehanort's voice in his nightmares, he also heard Kairi's voice in his fondest of dreams. In the night, in the sanctity of his own imagination, Riku's most forbidden fantasies were played out, whether by will of his own subconscious or by the machinations of Xehanort's shadow.

The dreams bothered Riku in some ways... in _many_ ways. Kairi's heart had chosen Sora. No matter how powerful Riku became, no matter how he improved himself just for her, that fact would never change. Sora and Kairi were in love, and they were married. They were going to start a family that was founded on the most cherished principles of light--limitless devotion, love without bounds, and the willingness to face any future, as long as they faced it _together_. Riku knew in his heart that he could never honestly offer these things to Kairi. That might have been why her heart had chosen Sora in the first place: Riku could give her everything she needed, but only Sora could give her everything she _wanted_.

It was not often that Riku obsessed over Kairi in this manner, but still the dreams haunted him. At first, he thought they were only dreams, destined to pass as all dreams must. But still these dreams lingered, and Riku nearly went mad. He was afraid to close his eyes at night, fearful that the dreams would come upon him again. Even more fearful that the dreams would _end_, that they would in fact still be _dreams_, even when it was the only reality that Riku truly wanted anymore.

_And why shouldn't you want it?_ the shadow questioned. _Give in to the darkness, Riku. Take what is rightfully yours._

Riku shook his head violently. He couldn't do that to his friends... not after all they'd been through. They deserved to be happy.

_Very well_, the shadow of Xehanort whispered, _but know that you will one day give in. In time, the temptation will grow too strong to resist. Your feelings for Kairi will be your undoing... and my own liberation._

This statement frightened Riku more than any other that Xehanort's shadow had offered--not because it was particularly sinister, but because it was particularly _plausible_. The possibility of such an event ate at the back of Riku's mind like a worm, slowly consuming his thoughts until possible threat grew into inevitable calamity. Riku began to think that it _would_ happen, that he _would_ give in because of Kairi. Whatever the case, he knew he couldn't bear to grapple with such dark thoughts and feelings any longer.

At last, Riku reached a decision. It would involve a great risk on his part, but it would be worth it to retain his sanity. He would have to consult King Mickey about his situation. Yes, it would mean revealing his hideous secret. Yes, it could mean that Sora and Kairi would find out. Yes, it could mean losing the trust of every friend he had... but he had to try. Mickey was the wisest of the wise; if he could not help, no one could.

Yes, Riku would seek King Mickey's advice.

Xehanort's shadow recoiled at this thought and sank back into the darkness of Riku's heart.

For how long Riku sat and brooded in this manner, he knew not. However, he knew that by the time his thoughts finally turned away from Kairi, his cell phone was vibrating in his pocket. He knew that it had to be a member of the Disney Castle court calling on party business, so he was sure to be discreet as he answered, "Hello?"

"_Hey, Riku!_" was the response. Riku rolled his eyes. It was Daisy Duck again. "_Listen, we're all set up here in the Grand Hall of Hollow Bastion, so do you think you could get the guests of honor up here ASAP? You will? You're a peach, Riku! See ya in a few! Bye!_"

Riku hung up and shoved the phone into his pocket. Sometimes he wondered if Daisy was just the tool the other Disney Castle courtiers used when they didn't want Riku to be able to voice his opinion on whatever task he was charged with. But if the baby shower was ready, then Riku had best get moving: Disney Castle surprise parties were difficult to be kept secret for very long. So it was with a heavy sigh that Riku rose from his seat. He did not dare to face Kairi just yet, so he instead approached Sora. "Hey, Sora," he told his friend, "You think we might wanna go back and check on Stitch? We've been gone for a while, you know."

Sora nodded pensively. "Yeah. It wouldn't be right for Stitch to be home all by himself while we're all out here celebrating. We should go invite him to join the fun!"

_Not exactly what I had in mind_, Riku thought as Sora got up to share this idea with Kairi, _but whatever works_.

A moment later, after Sora, Kairi, and Taran had bidden farewell to the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee, Riku opened corridor of darkness leading straight to Hollow Bastion's Grand Hall. "After you," Riku bade the royal couple cordially. Sora and Kairi stepped into the corridor together. Riku entered behind them, knowing that they were in for quite the surprise when they reached the other side.

* * *

"_SURPRISE!_"

To say that Sora and Kairi were shocked would be an understatement of the grossest nature. Their eyes nearly bulged out of their heads, and their jaws worked uselessly for a moment. They looked to each other, then around the Grand Hall, then to each other again. This cycle continued as Riku and Taran emerged from the corridor of darkness. Riku openly laughed at the royal couple, and even Taran chuckled at their apparent surprise.

True to Daisy Duck's statement, the party was already underway.

The members of the Disney Castle court had been very busy since their arrival in Radiant Garden (which, Riku noted, not even _he_ had detected). A large table was set up in the middle of the Hall, around which most of the guests sat. The table was covered by an ornate cloth, set with plates overflowing with the finest food and drink. The seat at the very head of the table was reserved for Sora; near it were three more empty seats for Kairi, Riku, and Taran. King Mickey sat near these vacant chairs, with Queen Minnie opposite him. Donald and Goofy sat beside the lord and lady of Disney Castle, respectively, and the rest of the table was filled with the other numerous courtiers. In one corner of the Grand Hall, numerous gifts of various shapes and sizes were heaped, wrapped in pastel-colored paper that largely followed the maternity theme. The Hall was filled with the sound of joyous laughter and revelry, as was characteristic of any traditional Disney Castle feast.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as he looked upon the celebration. "I knew the guys from Disney Castle were coming, but I never expected _this_!"

"I didn't either!" Kairi affirmed. When she heard Riku's laughter behind her, she turned to him with a scrutinizing glance. "Riku, is this what that phone call was about earlier?"

"Maybe." Riku chuckled. "I'll never tell."

From his seat at the large table, King Mickey used his fork to tap the rim of his glass. The relatively tiny ring managed to carry throughout the entire Grand Hall, and all the voices began to quiet. "Looks like the guests of honor finally made it!" he announced. "Have a seat, fellas."

The four companions made their way to the head of the table. Sora sat at the head, with Kairi to his immediate right. Riku sat down to Sora's left, beside King Mickey; Taran took the remaining chair a bit further down.

Thus, the celebration truly began.

The remainder of the feast went by quickly, all of the guests eating their fill (this did not take long: Sora and company were partially full from their sea-salt ice cream, and the Disney Castle courtiers had been eating for a few minutes already). Sora managed to notice that Kairi's eating habits had already begun to undergo subtle changes, and could not help but grin. He wondered what kinds of things Kairi would find herself eating once the baby was closer to being born. It was an amusing thought to entertain.

After everyone had finished their meal, the dishes and silverware on the table were quickly cleared away and replaced with the many gifts previously stacked in the corner. Everyone watched with ardor as Kairi unwrapped each one, which ranged from the useful items like diapers and bibs to assorted baby toys. Kairi's personal favorite was the gift from Goofy: a plush toy resembling a Moogle. "Aww, it was nothin'!" Goofy hyucked when he was thanked for the gift. "My boy Maxie used to play with plushies all the time!"

This warranted an exasperated groan from Max, who was seated right beside his father at the table.

At last, once the celebration began to die down, Riku and Mickey both found opportunity to discuss graver matters. Riku wanted to discuss his inner conflict with Xehanort's shadow, while King Mickey wished to speak of his recent disturbing meditation sessions. So it was that the two found themselves standing apart from the others, both looking gloomy and solemn.

Riku was the first to speak up. "Your Majesty, I have something I need to talk to you about."

Mickey smiled grimly at this. "Gosh, Riku... I was gonna say the same thing."

Riku's eyes widened in surprise. "What's on _your_ mind?" he questioned, sure that it was of far greater importance than his own inner conflict.

"Whelp," Mickey began with a dismissive shrug, "I'm not really sure. Do you remember that other galaxy we went to when Sora fell to the dark side?"

Riku nodded apprehensively. "Yeah. What about it?"

Mickey lowered his eyes and shook his head, his ears drooping sadly as he did so. "There's a great darkness building up down there, Riku. I feel it in my heart, and it won't stop bothering me. That whole _galaxy_ is in danger, and I think it needs help."

Riku's eyes grew wide, his own fears and problems now all but forgotten. "Uh-oh. Do you know what's _causing_ it?"

Mickey shook his head once more. "Nope. All I've got to go on is a single name: Darth Vader."

Riku suddenly grew tense. He could smell darkness in the air just as King Mickey uttered the name. That didn't happen often--only such names as Maleficent and the Horned King carried that sort of darkness. Whoever this "Darth Vader" was--or _whatever_ it was--it was powerfully aligned with the dark side. "So what's the plan, Your Majesty?"

"We'll just have to go to that other galaxy and try to stop this darkness before it spreads." Mickey resolved.

"We can't take everybody, though." Riku pointed out. "An airship wouldn't make it through that black hole we had to go through last time. We'll have to take one of the Gummis. We can still fit you, me, Taran, and Sora inside... maybe bring Donald and Goofy just in case."

Mickey's ears drooped even more. "I know we need him, but... I'd hate to take Sora away _now_. This baby means _everything_ to him, and after that fight with the Horned King..."

"I know how you feel, Your Majesty." Riku affirmed. "But we _have_ to bring Sora. You said the name you got was _Darth_ Vader. That means there's a Sith Lord down there, and we need all the Keybearers we can get."

Mickey heaved a heavy sigh. "You're right, Riku. I guess I'll be the one to tell them."

Riku placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder. "_We'll_ tell them. Together."

Mickey nodded and gave a slight smile before making his way toward where Sora and Kairi were still chatting with the other Disney Castle courtiers.

* * *

"You want me to _what_?"

When Sora had been informed of the situation in the other galaxy, he hadn't taken the news well. His memories of that galaxy were not fond ones, and to return was the _last_ thing he wanted. Besides, how could they expect him to just up and leave when he was only nine short months away from becoming a _father_? He couldn't bear to leave Kairi alone during her pregnancy, and he _adamantly_ refused to risk not being there when his child was born.

He told King Mickey and Riku this on no uncertain terms.

"We know it's not fair, Sora," Riku entreated, "but we _really_ need you out there."

"Absolutely not!" Sora retorted firmly. "If I leave now, then what'll happen when my kid is born without his dad there? That's _bad parenting_!"

Kairi was much calmer than Sora was, though there was some confusion concerning why that was so. She answered this unspoken question by offering, "There's one suggestion you all overlooked: I _could_ just go with you."

Sora, Riku, and Mickey all looked at Kairi in shock. "Uh-uh!" Sora protested. "_Bad idea_! There's _no way_ you're going!"

"I came the last time we went there." Kairi argued. "Why not now?"

"Because you're _pregnant_!" Sora countered. "Pregnant people don't go to other galaxies on dangerous missions! You're responsible for _two_ lives now, Kairi, not just yours."

"I know that, Sora." Kairi acknowledged. "But it's not like I'm actually gonna _fight_ anybody. Just take me with you so you'll know me and the baby are okay. Besides, the last time I stayed at home while everybody else fought, I got captured by the Headless Horseman. I don't think we want a repeat of _that_ little incident."

"Oh yeah? Well..." Sora suddenly found himself at a loss. He couldn't argue with that logic. If he brought Kairi along, he could make sure that she and the child were looked after. Leaving her home alone with a child developing in her womb would be far too risky. Perhaps this could be worked out after all.

Sora shrugged and looked to Riku and Mickey for their input. King Mickey let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Whelp, I guess this means Kairi's coming with us. We better get goin'."

After agreeing to meet in the Gummi hangar in half an hour, Mickey walked off to relay news of this expedition to Donald, Goofy, and Taran. Kairi set off in a different direction in order to gather up a few supplies. As Riku and Sora made their way toward the Gummi hangar, Riku let out a laugh. "Sora, I'm sorry to break this to you, but Kairi has you _whipped_."

"_What_?" Sora demanded in protest. "She does _not_!"

"Don't try to kid yourself." Riku chuckled. "Who wins most of your little arguments?"

Sora paused for a moment before muttering, "Kairi does."

"Uh-huh." Riku nodded with a smirk. "And who can turn you into a blob of mush every time she flutters her eyelashes at you?"

"Kairi." Sora admitted.

"And who do you depend on to even make it to a meeting with the Restoration Committee on time?" Riku went on.

"_Okay_, I get the picture." Sora grumbled. "So Kairi has me whipped. You know what? I'm just fine with that." To make his point, he folded his hands behind his head and flashed a wide grin.

"That's what I thought." Riku nodded, laughing once more. He enjoyed having a laugh at Sora's expense every now and again--it reminded him of the good old days back on Destiny Islands. Good-natured laughter and fun-poking was just what he needed to keep his mind from wandering down much darker roads.

Perhaps it would let him forget that he was about to embark on yet _another_ dangerous mission to save the worlds from darkness.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there it is. This chapter took _forever_ for me to gather enough time and morale to finish, since I think it's a bit humdrum myself. Next chapter will see things heat up considerably, though, so be patient. I do apologize for those of you who didn't like Riku's extended brooding session in the 7th Heaven (I have a certain person in mind), but it had to be done, just as Sydney Carton had to go through somewhat similar problems in _A Tale of Two Cities_ by Charles Dickens. If ol' Charlie could make it work, then I at least know it's possible (though I admit to being nowhere _near_ Charles Dickens in literary prowess).**

**I hope you noticed that King Mickey's pattern of dialogue in this story has changed. I'm now trying my best to make him the simple spoken, colloquial mouse that he should be, but it's always a bit of a challenge for me. You be the judge of whether I'm succeeding or not.**

**A gentle reminder: PLEASE REVIEW! I got a record-breaking (for me) _nine_ reviews for that last chapter, and I hope you all shall continue to provide me with the wonderful feedback that keeps me motivated. Thank you to reviewers both old and new, and I hope that I can keep dishing out chapters worthy of the praise I've been getting. Thanks, guys and gals!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	3. Hoth

**A/N: Hey there, hi there, ho there! You're as welcome as can be! Here we are, at the long-awaited Chapter 3, which will finally plunge us headfirst into the fascinating world of the Star Wars galaxy. If you haven't guessed this by the chapter title, then perhaps it would be wise to seek medical attention before reading this chapter. Now, there's something I would like to address about this fanfiction before we get in too deep:**

**This fanfiction, for the most part, will stay about 85% true to the movies (the other 15% will be stuff that I add in for Kingdom Hearts purposes). _However_, the Expanded Universe i****s going to get ripped to shreds. I'm sorry for those of you who liked the EU stuff and are familiar with it, but COME ON! If I threw in all the EU material, then there would be no room left for originality. Since we always strive for originality here in the fanfictions of Lord Moldybutt, the Expanded Universe has got to go. Hopefully, you'll like my stuff almost as much. For those of you who have no idea about any of the EU, or only know a little bit, then you're in luck. You haven't lost anything.**

**Gentlemen, start your engines! Chapter 3 will begin in a moment...**

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 3: Hoth**

A short while after the baby shower's abrupt end, two ships blasted out of Radiant Garden's Gummi hangar. The first was the airship _Arbitrator_, on a course to shuttle most of the Disney Castle courtiers to their own world. The second ship was much smaller, and was headed in the complete opposite direction.

This second ship was called the _Cygnus_, and was the latest of King Mickey's private Gummi ships. It was a Falcon Lv. 10 class, a ship known for its incredible offensive power. The _Cygnus_ was largely purple in color, with the ship's name emblazoned in gold on one side of its nose and King Mickey's royal seal in black on the other. It wasn't the fastest ship in space, but it was one of the most heavily armed. If the crisis was as bad as Mickey sensed, then this was the ship they would need.

The _Cygnus_ carried seven passengers as it sped through the colorful abyss between worlds. Sora, the most accomplished pilot among the seven, was in the captain's chair. The others (King Mickey, Riku, Kairi, Taran, Donald, and Goofy) were seated in the other chairs of the cockpit. Mickey had just given Sora the coordinates of the black hole that served as the portal to the other galaxy, and many of the others were deep in thought. Their memories of this other galaxy were uneasy, at best, though they _had_ managed to make a few friends during the journey.

"Gawrsh, ya think Annie's doin' okay?" Goofy asked. "Wasn't he gonna study to be a rabbi?"

"A _Jedi_, ya big palooka!" Donald corrected him. "And I'm sure Anakin's fine. Padmé and Obi-Wan are probably fine, too."

"The one _I'm_ worried about is that Chancellor Palpatine." Kairi stated. "Something about him just felt... _off_."

"Whoever are you talking about?" Taran questioned. "Am I the only one here who's never been to that other galaxy before?"

Sora nodded. "You are, but you'll pick things up pretty quickly. I know I did, and I wasn't even in my right mind."

"You'll learn about it sooner than you think, Taran." King Mickey told him. "Here comes the black hole."

Sure enough, after a moment, the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_ was filled with the image of a swirling mass, sucking anything and everything into its powerful vacuum. Sora increased the thrusters of the _Cygnus_ to maximum power, and in a moment, they were accelerating into the depths of the hole, into the unsure galaxy so far away from their own.

* * *

Only a minute later, the _Cygnus_ was ejected into the cold recesses of the black space that separated the planets of this galaxy. Once Sora pressed the button that engaged the artificial gravity simulators aboard the ship, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Wow, Sora." Kairi remarked. "That was a _lot_ smoother than when Launchpad flew us here last time."

"I would hope so." Sora replied. "Not to brag or anything, but I think I'm a little better than Launchpad. Besides, I had to make sure the trip was nice and easy for certain _expecting_ passengers."

"Hang on a second, guys." Riku interjected, taking a good look at the viewscreen. They had entered a planetary system consisting of six planets and a wide asteroid belt, all orbiting a sun that glowed a pallid blue-white. The planets themselves all appeared to be covered in ice and snow, giving them all the appearance of giant snowballs. "This is nowhere _near_ where we came out last time."

"Something's screwy." Donald quacked. "Sora, are you sure you went the right way?"

"There was only one way to go in there, Donald!" Sora argued. "Straight forward!"

"Hang on, fellas." Mickey chided them. As Sora and Donald calmed down, Mickey murmured, "Hmm... we _gotta_ be here for a reason. Maybe we were _meant_ to come here."

"Gawrsh," Goofy whispered, "do black holes work like that?"

Suddenly, as though in answer to Goofy's question, a great flash of light appeared on the viewscreen near the sixth planet in the system. After a moment, the flash of light was replaced with a ship. Every jaw aboard the _Cygnus_ dropped. The Gummi ship suddenly seemed very small indeed.

This new ship was vast, every bit of 1,600 meters in length. Its hull was a monochromic gray, made of thick metal and covered with mounted cannons. The ship itself was triangular in shape, with the command bridge tower forming a squat T-shape near the back. Atop the bridge at either end sat a spherical sensor globe. Between these two globes, a lofty communications tower loomed over the rest of the ship.

This type of ship was called an _Imperial-II_ class Star Destroyer, and it had just emerged from hyperspace.

As the seven passengers of the _Cygnus_ marveled at the mile-long ship, four more of its kind joined it in flashes of light. However, the sixth ship to emerge from hyperspace cast a shadow great enough to engulf all five of the _Imperial-II _class vessels. If anyone had been unimpressed by the size of the first ship, this new ship now left all seven of the _Cygnus_'s passengers in complete awe.

This new ship was an _Executor _class Super Star Destroyer. This particular vessel was also called the _Executor_, the namesake for its class.

The _Executor_ dwarfed the tiny Gummi ship in the way that a man dwarfs an insect. At a full 19,000 meters long, it was unquestionably the largest craft that anyone aboard the _Cygnus_ had ever seen before. It maintained the basic design of the other Star Destroyers, but its hull was jet black in color, flecked with arrays of neon blue. It was equipped with over a thousand weapons, and one could only guess how many men it was capable of carrying. It was pointed straight at the sixth planet in the system.

Sora was the first to regain his powers of speech after seeing the massive _Executor_. "_Whoa_." he marveled. "I gotta get me one of those."

"Would it even fit in the hangar?" Kairi questioned, also enthralled.

"Gawrsh, I don't think it'd fit in Radiant Garden!" Goofy hyucked.

"What do you think they're all doing?" Donald asked.

Riku took a long, audible sniff. Then he took another, and another, until he at last nodded his head solemnly. "It's an invasion force." he said. "The whole fleet _reeks_ of darkness. Especially that big one."

Mickey nodded also, but his was a nod of determination. "Then we'll just have to try to help. Maybe _this_ is the reason we showed up here. We'll stay here until we find out where the invaders are landing, then we'll follow. Got it, Sora?"

"Got it, Your Majesty." Sora affirmed, leaning back in his chair. For the moment, there was nothing to do but wait.

* * *

Aboard the command bridge tower of the massive _Executor_, there was a single room where only the bravest or most foolish of officers would enter without permission. It was a dark room, in the center of which sat a spherical enclosure with a black exterior. This enclosure was designed to clamp shut and become pressurized, sealing the occupant of the pod inside. It was not the room itself that frightened the officers of the _Executor_, but rather what the room was used for.

It was the meditation chamber of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Much had changed since the last excursion by Sora and his friends to this galaxy so far away from their own. Chancellor Palpatine had since become _Emperor_ Palpatine, spreading the authority of his empire for over two decades. Darth Vader was Palpatine's feared enforcer, a Sith Lord of dark and terrible power. The Jedi Order had been scattered and all but wiped out, leaving only opposition to the tyranny of the Galactic Empire in the hands of the Rebel Alliance, a military force created in order to restore freedom to the galaxy. For many years the base of operations for the Rebel Alliance had eluded the Empire's detection, but they had finally found it here on Hoth, the sixth planet in the system of the same name.

But how could all this be so? Sora and company have only been gone for a meager three years, in a time when the Galactic Republic was functioning relatively well. How could all this have come to pass? The answer lies in the question. To _Sora_, and to all the worlds in _Sora's_ galaxy, only three years have passed. But time moves differently here in a galaxy far, far away. In fact, time in this galaxy moves at a rate of approximately 11.5 times _faster_ than that of Sora's native galaxy. So while only three years have passed for Sora and his friends, _thirty-five_ years have passed in this galaxy.

A lot can change in thirty-five years.

Aboard the _Executor_, Major General Maximilian Veers made his way cautiously into Darth Vader's meditation chamber, dressed in the traditional black uniform of an Imperial officer. He was nervous as he entered the dimly lit room--he always was. If Darth Vader could not make an Imperial officer quake in his boots just by being in the same room, then he wasn't doing his job correctly.

Lord Vader _always_ did his job correctly.

As Major General Veers stepped into the meditation chamber, the pressurized black sphere unlatched, and the top rose up. Darth Vader was seated in the middle of the enclosure, already facing the general. He must have been expecting this meeting.

To many Imperial officers, Darth Vader appeared to be a terrible amalgam of man and machine, encased in a shell of black that glinted in the light. To them, Vader's jointed limbs looked ungainly, even monstrous. The curved, featureless lenses of Vader's sinister helmet looked inhuman and pitiless; the grillwork that served as the helmet's mouth seemed to suggest the jaws of some grotesque saurian predator built of polished armor. Vader's flowing black cape draped behind him like a swooping shadow, leaving a trail of darkness in his wake.

No matter how many times Veers saw it, Darth Vader's physical appearance was downright _unsettling_. The deep rasps of his constant breathing sent chills down the general's spine, and the hollow echo of Vader's voice was just as nerve-racking as he spoke. "What is it, general?"

Major General Veers swallowed hard and tried to remain calm as he addressed the Dark Lord of the Sith. "My lord," he began courteously, "the fleet has moved out of lightspeed. Comm-scan has detected an energy field protecting an area of the sixth planet of the Hoth system. The field is strong enough to deflect any bombardment."

"The Rebels are alerted to our presence." Vader surmised, not sounding pleased by any stretch of the imagination. "Admiral Ozzel came out of lightspeed too close to the system."

Uh-oh. Admiral Kendal Ozzel was the commander of the _Executor_, the man entrusted with leadership of Darth Vader's personal flagship. Darth Vader did not tolerate failure, and those on the receiving end of his wrath never survived to fail again. Not wishing to risk being victimized himself, Major General Veers offered, "He--he felt _surprise_ was wiser--"

"He is as clumsy as he is stupid." Vader cut him off. "General, prepare your troops for a surface attack."

Veers could see the relief that washed over his features reflected in the black lenses of Darth Vader's helmet. The Sith Lord was not angry at _him_. "Yes, my lord." he replied with a gracious bow before walking away. He had no desire to anger Vader further by wasting time.

Darth Vader was angry as he watched Major General Veers leave, impatient to make the one responsible for this failure pay with his life. The chair in Vader's meditation enclosure swiveled about to face a large viewscreen monitor. It flickered to life before the Sith Lord, displaying an image of Admiral Ozzel and his subordinate, Captain Firmus Piett, standing on the _Executor_'s command deck. Ozzel turned to face him and said, "Lord Vader, the fleet has moved out of lightspeed and is preparing to--_aaagh!_"

Darth Vader reached out with the Force, and invisible fingers wrapped around Admiral Ozzel's throat. "You have failed me for the _last time_, Admiral." the Sith Lord raged. "Captain Piett?"

"Yes, my lord?" Captain Piett acknowledged calmly, even as Admiral Ozzel backed away and clutched his hands to his throat, slowly choking to death.

"Make ready to land our troops beyond their energy field," Darth Vader commanded, never releasing his hold on the admiral, "and deploy the fleet so that nothing gets off the system. You are in command now, _Admiral_ Piett." With that last statement, Vader increased his concentration until Kendal Ozzel's neck was crushed under the pressure with an audible _crack_. Ozzel's body crumpled to the floor.

"Thank you, my lord." Piett acknowledged nervously. Darth Vader watched with some satisfaction as the newly promoted admiral jerked his head slightly, instructing nearby officers to remove Ozzel's strangled corpse. Piett had thus far proven himself a trustworthy officer. This was it. The Rebellion would be crushed _here_. Darth Vader would finally succeed in destroying--

_But what is this?_

As the viewscreen was turned off and the top of the spherical enclosure sealed Darth Vader inside yet again, he felt a tremor in the Force... a source of light and power, the likes of which the galaxy had not seen since the fall of the Jedi Order over two decades ago. He sensed this tremor upon a very small vessel not far from the _Executor_. Upon further meditation, Vader found that he _recognized_ many of the people aboard. _But why are _they_ here again?_ Vader thought.

The Sith Lord first recognized the aura given off by King Mickey Mouse, a wielder of something he had called a "keyblade." Vader also detected Riku, who emitted conflicting energies of light and dark. He sensed the presences of Donald and Goofy, who, he remembered, had not wielded keyblades, but were still powerful warriors. He sensed the presence of Sora, the Keyblade Master, whom Vader had only known for a short while. He also sensed the pure, calming aura of light that he remembered Kairi to exude. He sensed one other person that he did not recognize, and whom he quickly dismissed as another friend of Sora's. Just another nuisance.

Darth Vader focused his attention on Kairi again. He realized that Kairi did not emit one, but rather _two_ different auras. The first was indeed the pure light given off by the Princess of Heart, but this second aura... it was _powerful_. More so than even King Mickey. This powerful aura was very small, but potent enough to arouse Darth Vader's curiosity. In his experience, there was only one way for a single person to emit two different auras. Kairi must have been _pregnant_. But if this unborn child could produce such a potent air of power, even now, then the Sith Lord could only imagine how powerful it would become when it came of age. As his ponderings came to a close, Darth Vader came to a single conclusion:

_You had best get those troops landed _quickly_, Piett. I would hate to lose two admirals in one day._

* * *

"I'm _bored_!"

Sora bashed his head against the dashboard of the _Cygnus_, impatient to be doing something... _anything_. Sitting around and waiting was not what Sora was used to.

"How could you _possibly_ be bored?" Riku questioned, his arms folded across his chest. "We haven't been sitting here for more than ten minutes."

Kairi smiled. "Ten minutes is usually his limit."

"I can't help it!" Sora protested. "I know we're waiting for a good reason, but it still doesn't feel right. I almost wish something would happen just so I wouldn't be so _bored_!"

No sooner had he spoken the words than the radar of the _Cygnus_ detected three incoming ships. The first was large, possibly a carrier of some sort. It was flanked to the left and right by two smaller vessels known as X-wings: long, narrow fighters with four wings in the shape of an X at the back. As the three vessels appeared on the viewscreen, Sora noticed something a bit odd. "They're headed straight for one of those big invading ships!"

"Are they _trying_ to get blown up?" Donald quacked.

Suddenly, a great flash of light streaked past the three new ships. It looked to be an energy blast, which was quickly affirmed when it rammed straight into the hull of one of the _Imperial-II _class Star Destroyers. A second blast followed, disabling the Star Destroyer as the carrier ship and its escorts sped past.

Sora swiveled his chair around to look at the other passengers aboard the _Cygnus_. "Did you guys see that?"

"It's kinda hard to miss something like that." Riku retorted.

"Looks like you got your wish, Sora." King Mickey said. "Take us down."

"On it." Sora affirmed, igniting the _Cygnus_'s thrusters and speeding toward the planet Hoth.

When the _Cygnus_ breached Hoth's thin atmosphere a moment later, a strange sight awaited everyone aboard. As expected, Hoth was a frozen wasteland of a planet, which vaguely reminded Sora of the Tung-Shao Pass in the Land of Dragons. The _Cygnus_ was currently flying over a large, snowy plain. At one end, a squat, grey construct could be seen jutting from the snow. It appeared to be some sort of generator, and the turrets lining its perimeter indicated its military value. Trenches were dug into the ice not far away, filled with soldiers anticipating the coming attack. "Well, that explains what's being invaded." Sora remarked. "Now all we have to do is find the... _opposition_!"

Sora's eyes grew wide as massive objects suddenly appeared on the viewscreen. There were five of them, each standing over twenty-two meters high. In shape, they resembled nothing so much as giant quadrupedal animals made of metal, with spindly legs and heads mounted with blaster cannons. These lumbering monoliths made their way slowly toward the trenches, firing massive bolts of red energy at the soldiers within. These were All Terrain Armored Transports, or AT-ATs for short.

_These_ were the opposition.

"Not good." Sora muttered.

"Looks like we found it." Kairi agreed as she gazed upon these giant metal monsters. "Now shouldn't we be _helping_?"

"No good." Sora stated. "According to the readouts, they have a shield up down there--the ship can't get through it without getting fried."

"So we just sit here?" Kairi questioned with an exasperated look upon her face.

"Not for long." Sora assured her. "It looks like they're trying to evacuate everybody on carrier ships like the one we just saw. They'll have to drop the shield to get any more ships out, so we'll just wait until they do."

Sure enough, not long afterward, a second carrier ship began streaking toward the sky. Sora would have to time this perfectly to avoid crashing into the shield. He grew tense as he suddenly ignited the thrusters of the _Cygnus_, headed straight for the barrier that became more visible as the ship drew near it.

There was a great _whoosh_ as the _Cygnus_ streaked past the convoy ship, completely unscathed. The energy shield was restored, and Sora grinned with relief.

They were in.

Now, all that remained was to decide what to _do_. The weapons aboard the _Cygnus_ would be useless; all blaster bolts were deflected by the thick, reflective armor of the AT-AT walkers. It would be risky, but their only option was a ground attack.

"Donald!" Sora called, "Get over here and fly this thing!"

Donald instantly leaped from his chair. Sora allowed the duck to sit in the captain's chair, while he himself approached the landing ramp. "Here's what we're gonna do: Riku, Taran, King Mickey, and I are gonna go down there and see if our keyblades can't pierce that armor. Donald, you land the ship somewhere safe and be prepared to pick us up. Goofy, I'm trusting you and Donald to keep Kairi safe. If we don't make it back in time, then go on without us. Understand?"

"What do you mean 'if we don't make it back'?" Kairi queried, her voice trembling. "I'm starting to not like this plan."

Sora was at her side in an instant, his confident cerulean eyes looking directly into her own orbs of indigo. "We'll make it, Kai." he told her, giving her a fleeting peck on the lips before turning back to Donald and Goofy. "Don't let me down, guys."

"You got it, Sora!" Donald and Goofy said together, acknowledging him with a firm salute. Donald then lowered the landing ramp, and the four Keybearers leaped from the ship. _Well,_ Sora thought, _here goes nothing._

* * *

There was a soft _thud_ as the four Keybearers landed in the ice and snow that covered the planet Hoth. Sora shivered slightly as he summoned the Oathkeeper, his favored weapon. Had he known he would be doing battle on a planet like this, he would have dressed more warmly. Then again, he would probably work up a sweat by the time the battle was finished.

As Sora looked around, he could see smaller vessels speeding toward the massive AT-AT walkers. These vessels were small, about half the size of the standard Gummi ship, mounted with a pair of laser cannons. They were mostly white in color, with flecks of orange dotting the hull. These were T-47 model airspeeders, but since their extensive use on Hoth, they had come to be called snowspeeders. Several of the snowspeeders were firing upon one of the AT-ATs, thought not even the firepower of a blaster cannon could breach the armor of the walkers.

Sora turned to face his three comrades. "Okay, there's five of those walker things and four of us. Riku, you'll have to take Taran with you, but the king and I can go on our own. Those speeders already have one pretty much covered, so we'll focus on the rest."

"Good plan," Riku nodded, "but you overlooked one little detail: we've got company."

Sure enough, as Sora turned about to see what Riku meant, an unfriendly sight met his eyes. A relatively large band of soldiers was charging toward them, clad all in white and wielding powerful-looking blaster rifles. Their helmets were plain, with nothing but two polarized black lenses serving as the eyes. These were the Snowtroopers of Blizzard Force, a special division of Darth Vader's military unit trained specifically for combat in icy regions and led by Major General Maximilian Veers himself.

Sora and his allies, of course, had no way of knowing this. All they had to go on was Riku's sense of perception, which indicated that these Snowtroopers were indeed aligned with darkness and, by association, with Darth Vader. This, along with the fact that they treated the Keybearers as hostiles without hesitation, was good enough. If the Snowtroopers chose to make enemies of the Keybearers, then so be it.

King Mickey looked off into the distance. "Those walkers can wait... at least for a little while. We gotta get these soldiers out of the way first."

By the time Mickey had finished this command, the first Snowtrooper had already fired his first shot at the mouse king. Mickey's keyblade appeared in his hand in a flash, and he deftly leaped to deflect the blaster bolt. It ricocheted back into the Snowtrooper's chest, causing the soldier to fall prostrate upon the frozen ground. Its armor was weaker in order to allow for better heating and maneuvering capabilities, so a single shot from a blaster rifle had been enough.

The events described in the previous paragraph had all taken place in only a quarter of a second. Upon seeing the death of their comrade, the remaining Snowtroopers in the vicinity opened fire upon the Keybearers. Riku and Taran quickly called their own blades to their hands, and the four warriors tried with all their might to deflect the barrage of blaster bolts. Sora and Riku were just as skilled as Mickey in this particular task--they had been forced to learn it near the end of their final duel with Xemnas six years before. Taran, however, was still a novice in this regard. "Master Riku!" he called in desperation as a blaster bolt grazed his shoulder. "I don't believe you've taught me how to do this!"

"Right." Riku grunted, expertly batting a blaster bolt toward a Snowtrooper before asserting himself to the front of the procession. "This has gone on far enough."

With a quick sweeping gesture, Riku erected a Dark Shield in front of himself and his companions. Blaster bolts ricocheted in every direction from this shield, some hitting Snowtroopers and others harmlessly flying into the sky or the snow.

Not many Snowtroopers were detained by this tactic, however. Many of them rolled to either side of the Dark Shield, away from the flying blaster bolts. One Snowtrooper reached into his utility belt and removed from it a small concussion grenade. He threw it into the midst of the Keybearers as his comrades kept up a barrage of blaster bolts.

All four Keybearers leaped away from the grenade in time to avoid being killed, though the sonic shockwave accompanying the blast stunned Mickey's sensitive ears for a moment. While the Snowtroopers cautiously tried to flank the mouse king, the other three Keybearers charged at the soldiers. Riku fired several Dark Auras from his hands, which killed the Snowtroopers on impact. Sora maintained a physical attack, cutting Snowtroopers down wherever he saw the opportunity; Taran assisted him with occasional blasts of Fire magic, attempting to take advantage of this time to practice his magic. The Fire spells proved effective, overheating the personal environment units of each Snowtrooper and causing them to burst into flames.

After a moment, King Mickey was on his feet again. Only a few Snowtroopers still surrounded him, the rest having broken rank to combat Mickey's three companions. The lord of Disney Castle tossed his golden keyblade directly into the chest of one of the Snowtroopers, running him straight through. Before the Snowtrooper had time to even fall, Mickey leaped onto his chest and removed the keyblade from it, using the trooper's body as a springboard to launch himself at another. After removing the helmeted heads of three more Snowtroopers and sending them rolling down a snow bank, he took a deep breath. Though the icy air stung his lungs, he managed to breathe a sigh of relief.

This little skirmish was over.

The four companions regrouped a moment later, all panting hard. "Well," Sora gasped with apparent exhaustion, "they're not _that_ tough."

"They beat Heartless by a long shot, though." Riku pointed out. "And they're _way_ better than the battle droids we fought last time we came. This might be a little challenging."

"_Challenging_?" Taran repeated, casting a low-level Cure spell on his burned shoulder. "I very nearly got killed!"

"Any fight you can walk away from is a good fight." Riku told his apprentice. "It's a _great_ fight if you win, but it's good if you just _survive_."

"Thank you, Riku." Taran said with a note of sarcasm. "Very reassuring."

Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a great explosion just above them. A snowspeeder had just been hit by one of the AT-AT walkers, which had gotten dangerously close to enemy lines since the skirmish with the Snowtroopers. "Uh-oh." Sora muttered. "We won the fight, but the battle's not over yet. Let's move it, guys."

And move they did.

* * *

Major General Maximilian Veers stood at his station inside the command section of the lead AT-AT (the "head" of the transport), looking out a wide, thin viewport. In front of him were two pilots, also members of Blizzard Force, who operated the many weapons of the AT-AT. He watched with a satisfied smirk as a snowspeeder flew past the viewport, firing at it with its cannons. The bolts from the cannons connected with the viewport with a loud rumble, then quickly dissipated.

The walker remained undamaged.

Veers's monstrous war machine was very near the enemy trenches now. He fired the massive cannons of the AT-AT into the trenches, sending Rebel bodies flying and destroying one of their defense turrets. As the smoke cleared from the explosion, something caught the general's eye.

The Rebel power generator, Veers's ultimate target.

The power generator was indeed the same squat construct that the passengers of the _Cygnus_ had spotted only moments earlier. It was, as its name suggested, the source of all power for the Rebel base here on Hoth. It was what powered the shields that prevented an aerial attack by the Star Destroyers in orbit above the base. If the generator could be destroyed, then the Rebels would have no defense.

Lord Vader had even promised to make an appearance im order to wipe out the last of the Rebels _himself_.

This was why Major General Veers was currently looking at the command console of his AT-AT, upon which was projected a small holographic image of the Sith Lord. Even as a six-inch-tall hologram, Darth Vader still looked unnaturally intimidating; despite this, Veers addressed his lord with an air of confidence. After all, it was thanks to him and his Blizzard Force that the Rebel base on Hoth would be conquered. He had made up for the late Admiral Ozzel's previous mistake.

Darth Vader would be pleased.

"Yes, Lord Vader," said the general as his AT-AT drew ever nearer to its intended target, "I've reached the main power generators. The shield will be down in moments. You may start your landing... _what the devil?_"

Major General Veers looked out upon the battlefield in horror. The AT-AT to the immediate right of his own was being attacked by... by _something_. All Veers saw was a flash of black and gold streak past the AT-AT, very close to the walker's knee joint. As the walker tried to lift that particular appendage, a sick realization dawned upon Veers.

That black and gold streak had just _sliced through the walker's leg!_

Half a second after the streak had sliced through the first foreleg of the AT-AT, it struck again at the opposite foreleg. The AT-AT, now missing both of its front appendages, fell nose-first into the snow. Veers swallowed hard. What _was_ that thing? Could it attack _his_ AT-AT next?

Veers was snapped back to the world of the here and now when Darth Vader's voice demanded, "_What is going on out there, General?_"

Veers swallowed hard. "Regrettably, Lord Vader, one of the walkers has been destroyed. No matter--in mere seconds, I shall be within firing distance of the power generators. Your landing may proceed as planned."

"_It had better, General,_" Darth Vader stated coldly, "_for _your_ sake._"

The hologram of the Sith Lord flickered out of existence. That was probably for the best. It was not standard military procedure for a general to break down and cry during the middle of a battle, but the prospect of facing Darth Vader's wrath almost made Veers do just that. His only consolation was that a moment later, his walker was still intact, and was within firing distance of the Rebel power generator. To the two pilots in front of him, he commanded, "Target. Maximum firepower." At this command, twin blaster bolts the size of nuclear warheads erupted from the laser cannons of the AT-AT and crashed against the power generator.

A second later, the generator was naught but a memory and a heap of smoldering metal.

* * *

King Mickey was nearly knocked from his feet as the massive explosion of the destroyed generator shook the planet. Mickey had been the little streak that had single-handedly brought an AT-AT to the ground, and he now fought as hard as he could to reach the rest of his companions. He had been too late to stop both leading AT-ATs, as he had originally intended, but now was not a time for regrets. He had to find his friends, and soon.

Find them he did. Sora, Riku, and Taran were running toward the mouse king for all they were worth. "Your Majesty!" Riku called. "All the soldiers who _didn't_ try to kill us are retreating! If we don't follow them, we're gonna get blown up!"

Sora jumped back in surprise at this. "_What_? What about Kairi? And Donald? And Goofy?"

"There's no time to make it back to the _Cygnus_." Riku argued, urging Sora onward. "Enemy soldiers are landing, and I smell a _lot_ of darkness on one of the ships. Unless you want Kairi to be a widow in the _very_ near future, we have to get going _now_!

"All right." Sora nodded sadly. "Let's go."

"Come on, fellas!" King Mickey prompted, leaping ahead several feet. "They're headed for that big cave!"

Indeed, all the Rebel troops were retreating into the mouth of an enormous cavern, located only fifty yards from the power generator (or what was left of it). None of the Rebels seemed to be alarmed by the four Keybearers sprinting toward their base--after all, they _had_ helped to defeat the AT-ATs. Thanks to their efforts, as well as the efforts of more than a few daring snowspeeder pilots, there were only two of the walkers left. That was enough, however, to eliminate several of the Rebel troops before they could enter the base.

When the four companions finally reached the inside of the cave, they arrived in what appeared to be a hangar of some sort. This was affirmed by the single vessel that currently sat inside. It was roughly disk-shaped, nearly thirty-five meters in length. A pair of large mandibles jutted from the front of the disk, and the entire ship was covered in assorted apparatus, ranging from mounted weaponry to sensor arrays. Its landing ramp was down, indicating that someone had the intention of boarding the ship soon.

The ship was called the _Millennium Falcon_.

Sora and his companions circled the _Millennium Falcon_, inspecting it and searching for a way inside. "You think this thing even runs?" Sora asked, perplexed by the ship's dilapidated appearance.

"A better question would be whether we could use it, even if it did."

"I guess we'll just have to ask the owner." Mickey suggested. As an afterthought, he added, "if they're still here."

King Mickey received his answer when, a moment later, a hairy brown creature emerged from where it had apparently been working on the ship. It was bipedal, humanoid in shape and anatomy. It was just over two meters in height, and covered with a uniform layer of mid-length brown hair. Its facial features resembled those of a bear or dog, though it had a sentient gleam in its eyes. A bandolier was slung across its chest, and in its hand was a tool that Sora had never seen before.

The creature addressed the four Keybearers with a guttural noise that was a mixture between a growl and a gargle. Sora, Riku, and Taran all looked to King Mickey with confused expressions on their faces. King Mickey audibly sighed as he walked up to the hairy creature that more than doubled his height (_including _the ears). "Uhh... hey there, big fella." he told the creature. "We were looking for a ship. Do ya think you could give us a ride?"

The large, hairy creature took a step back and crossed its arms, as though looking the four Keybearers over. With a grunt of what seemed to be approval, the creature jerked its head toward the landing ramp. "Thanks!" King Mickey said with a smile before leading his three companions into the _Millennium Falcon_.

Just as soon as the four Keybearers had entered the ship's main hold, they heard an exasperated voice call out, "Hurry up, Goldenrod! You're gonna be a permanent resident!"

Before anyone could question what this meant, he could hear a second voice shouting back, "Wait! Wait!"

There was barely time for the four companions to clear the landing ramp before the hairy creature ran past them, followed by three more passengers. The first two were human--a man and a woman, probably of the same military group that the Keybearers had helped to defend. The third seemed to be some type of android, humanoid in design and covered in shimmering gold casing. King Mickey thought the droid looked familiar, but said nothing.

When the man boarding the ship caught sight of the four companions, he immediately turned to look at the hairy creature. "Chewie, who are these people?" he shouted.

The creature grunted in response. "_Passengers_?" the man translated, looking annoyed. "I don't have time for this!"

"Look," Sora addressed the man, "all we need is--"

"Save it, Spiky." the man cut him off. "I'm trying to work here!" The man paused, then added, "Okay, fine. You can stay on the ship, but the introductions can wait until we're off this rock."

Sora crossed his arms indignantly. _Spiky?_ he thought. _Yeah, like I've never heard _that_ before_. However, he and his friends remained silent as the man approached a control panel on the wall and started flipping switches. The hairy creature kept its eyes on one of the ship's gauges, while the woman and the droid watched from a few feet away. Suddenly. the hairy creature was blasted by an unexpected jet of steam. The man hit another button and called, "How's this?"

The woman gaped at the man. "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" she asked with blatant sarcasm.

"It might!" the man snapped back. He pulled a final switch, then adjourned to the _Millennium Falcon_'s relatively small cockpit. More switches were flipped as the man tried to activate the cockpit's instruments. The instrument lights grew bright for a second, but quickly dimmed. Frustrated with both the ship's temperamental technology and his unexpected passengers, the man felt compelled to simply whack the instrument panel with his fist. The lights flickered to life, this time for good.

Most of the people aboard the ship had remained in the main hold, but the woman had followed the man into the cockpit. "This bucket of bolts is never gonna get us past that blockade!" she told him.

"This baby's got a few surprises left in her, sweetheart." the man promised. His fingers flew over the cockpit's instrument panels, working frantically to get the ship off the ground.

Through the large window at the front of the cockpit, the man and woman (as well as the others, who found themselves peeking through the cockpit's entrance) could see that time was running out. A squad of Snowtroopers had invaded the hangar, and were preparing to open fire on the _Millennium Falcon_. Most carried their standard issue blaster rifles, but one team bore a heavy repeating blaster rifle and tripod.

To counter this attack, one of the _Millennium Falcon_'s "surprises" came into effect: a ventrally-mounted repeating blaster cannon emerged from where it had been concealed near the ship's exit ramp. The cannon swiveled to face the Snowtroopers and mowed down the ones closest to the ship.

In the cockpit, the man slid into the pilot's seat. The woman took the navigator's chair, and the hairy creature dashed to take its place in the copilot's seat. The four Keybearers rushed to stand behind the others in the cockpit, while the golden droid remained in the main hold. "Switch over." the man told the creature. "Let's hope we don't have a burnout."

Outside, everyone could see that the Snowtroopers had nearly completed the setup of their tripod-mounted cannon. Unlike the blaster rifles that merely glanced off the ship, the cannon would have enough firepower to make Swiss cheese of the _Millennium Falcon_.

Thankfully, the ship's engines fired. The man in the pilot's seat grinned as he said, "See?"

The woman in the navigator's chair was unimpressed. "Someday you're gonna be wrong, and I just hope I'm there to see it."

The Snowtroopers, meanwhile, had finished setting up their cannon. They were about to fire it, but the repeating blaster cannon aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ swiveled to face it just in time. It let loose a stream of blasts, destroying the Snowtroopers' weapon and sending the troopers themselves flying in all directions.

"Punch it!" the man in the pilot's seat ordered, and the hairy copilot hit the accelerator. The ship launched forward, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

For now, they were safe.

As the _Millennium Falcon_ lifted off the ground, a black shape suddenly appeared in the hangar. As promised, Darth Vader had touched down on the planet after the destruction of the shield generator, and had entered the base to wipe out all the rebels who had not yet escaped. As he appeared in the hangar with another squad of Snowtroopers at his command, however, he realized that he was too late.

He had arrived just in time to watch the _Millennium Falcon _disappear into the sky.

* * *

**A/N: _Whew! _That was some battle, huh? Well, _I_ thought so. I hope I got all my technical information right. This chapter is the direct result of conducting hard research, listening to heavy metal, and drinking unhealthy amounts of caffeine. So if you liked it, great; if not, is it really my fault? ****And for those of you wondering where this leaves Kairi, Donald, and Goofy: don't sweat it. I'll get to them in the next chapter. **

**A gentle reminder: PLEASE REVIEW! And in addition to that request, I also have one more. I've been seeing a lot of new faces on the review board lately, so I would just like to remind everyone that unless you read the first two volumes first, you will be confused beyond all reason. I know I've had at least one reviewer try to read this saga out of order, and it was _not_ pretty. And with that public service announcement out of the way:**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**

* * *


	4. Empire in Pursuit

**A/N: Hello, everyone. Sorry it's taken so long to update, but I've had technical problems out the wazoo. Hopefully, this relatively short chapter will be worth it.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Empire in Pursuit**

After Sora, Riku, Taran, and Mickey had leaped from the _Cygnus_, Donald Duck had landed the Gummi ship at a hidden location near a large snowdrift. There they had stayed for the better part of half an hour, anxiously awaiting the return of their friends. As the minutes had ticked on, the threesome had grown more and more worried. Donald and Goofy had tried to keep smiles on their faces, if for no other reason than for the sake of their friend, who also happened to be the wife of their _best_ friend. But as the battle raged outside the ship and more Rebel ships managed to fly to safety... or not... Donald and Goofy began to be just as disheartened as Kairi.

At last, the trio realized they could wait no longer. Imperial Snowtroopers were entering the base, and on the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_, the threesome had seen the black shape of what could only be Darth Vader, silhouetted against the backdrop of Hoth's snowy plains. When the Sith Lord had exited his transport and become fully visible on the viewscreen, Kairi could have _sworn_ that he had turned his helmeted head and looked directly at the Gummi ship... directly at _her_. Donald and Goofy had assured her that there was no way he had seen them, but Kairi remained unconvinced. The cold, emotionless lenses of Vader's helmet had chilled her to the core, even more so than the climate of Hoth, and Kairi wished more than anything that she still had Sora there to warm her with his loving embrace.

She most certainly would have felt safer then.

Whether Darth Vader had spotted the _Cygnus_ or not, he had done nothing to threaten it or give away its position. He had simply walked on, his black armor contrasting greatly with the surrounding snows as he made his way toward the Rebel base. Even after the Sith Lord had long disappeared from the _Cygnus_'s viewscreen, Kairi kept her hand clutched to her stomach. If Sora and Vader ever came into conflict... if Vader ever learned that Sora' wife was _pregnant_... Kairi did not want to think about it anymore. She would much rather think about Sora, but that train of thought inevitably led her to a single, desperate plea:

_Sora, _please_ come back to me._

Five minutes after Darth Vader entered the Rebel base, the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_ displayed a roughly disk-shaped ship blasting from the base's hangar and into space. "That's it, guys." Donald quacked sadly. "If we don't follow that ship, we may be too late to escape. We gotta get outta here while we still can."

"But Donald," Goofy contended, "we can't leave _now_! The guys are still out there somewhere!"

A single tear escaped the duck's eye and rolled down his bill before he said, "I know, Goofy. But we don't have a choice."

Kairi's eyes went wide in terror as Donald Duck began firing up the ship's engines. "What are you _doing_? There's _always_ a choice! If we wait, Sora can get us out of here, no problem! Just give him and the others a few more minutes!"

Donald shook his head as the _Cygnus_ lifted up and out of the snow. "We don't _have_ a few more minutes, Kairi."

As the _Cygnus_ blasted out of Hoth's atmosphere, Kairi found tears welling up in her eyes--not just for Sora, but for her other friends who had been left behind. Okay... perhaps it was mostly for Sora. She was not afraid to admit that, at least to herself. After all, it was quite easy to be a little obsessed with Sora when the galaxy itself seemed bent on keeping him from her. The last time she had come here, the dark side had claimed Sora's heart. This time, it may have claimed Sora's very _life_.

Kairi was horrified at the thought of her child being fatherless so quickly.

Kairi forced herself to dry her eyes as Goofy placed his hand on her shoulder. "Aww, cheer up, Kairi!" he entreated. "Sora's gonna be okay, you'll see. Why, I bet he's out there on one o' those ships lookin' for us right now!"

"Yeah!" Donald hastily agreed, glad to accept any form of hope that his friends were still alive. "We'll find him! But no more frowning! This ship runs on happy faces!"

Kairi couldn't help but grin. As Sora had told her on many occasions (and as she had come to find out for herself), Donald and Goofy always had that effect on people.

Her hopes were dashed, however, when she saw the Imperial fleet that still loomed over the planet. Donald looked nervous as he navigated the _Cygnus_ as stealthily as he could past the enemy crafts. It was only a matter of time before they were spotted and hunted down like animals.

They were in _big_ trouble.

* * *

Whilst leaving the atmosphere of Hoth, the four Keybearers had at least been able to introduce themselves to the others aboard the _Millennium Falcon_. The man's name was revealed to be Han Solo, captain of the _Falcon_. His first mate was Chewbacca, the hairy creature who had first greeted the Keybearers. Chewbacca apparently belonged to a species known as the Wookiees, and had been working alongside Han for several years. The woman aboard the _Falcon _was named Princess Leia Organa, and the gold-plated droid was called C-3PO. Sora and Mickey recognized the droid at once (while only Mickey had met the droid personally, Sora had heard all about C-3PO from Kairi). C-3PO did not seem to recognize King Mickey, however, so the two kept quiet about it.

After Sora, Mickey, Riku, and Taran had introduced themselves, Leia was compelled to ask, "But what are you doing here? You're obviously not part of the Rebel Alliance.".

"Rebel Alliance?" Sora repeated, confusion evident in his eyes and voice. "What's that?"

Han Solo stared at Sora in surprise. Leia was the one to ask the obvious question: "You don't _know_?"

Sora shook his head, but before any more information could be exchanged, Chewbacca suddenly let out a howl. Han Solo was quick to respond. "I saw 'em, I saw 'em!"

"Saw _what_?" Leia questioned.

"Star Destroyers--two of 'em coming right at us." Han replied, his fingers frantically dancing over the _Millennium Falcon_'s controls.

"_Two_?" Sora repeated. "Over one little ship? Isn't that overreacting?"

"Tell _them_ that!" Han barked. To Chewbacca, he added, "Check the deflector shields!"

Chewbacca reached up and flipped a switch, but the noise he made afterward didn't sound reassuring.

"_Great_." Han sighed. Obviously, the deflector shields were not working. "Well, we can still outmaneuver 'em."

With a few deft manipulations of the _Millennium Falcon_'s controls, the ship turned around and charged at one of the Star Destroyers that wasn't already chasing it. The other two Star Destroyers gave chase. However, once the _Falcon_ was practically nose-to-nose with the Star Destroyer in front of it, Han pulled it into a steep dive. The two pursuing Star Destroyers, however, could not imitate this maneuver. They continued along their collision course with the third Star Destroyer. The hulls of the three ships scraped against one another, allowing the _Millennium Falcon_ to pass without further harassment.

However, the escape was far from complete.

As the _Millennium Falcon_ did its best to flee from the three entangled Star Destroyers, other vessels streaked toward it. These new ships were relatively small, just over six meters in length. These ships were gray in color, with a slight bluish tint. The ships themselves were shaped much like the letter H, each with a hexagonal wing running vertically on either side of the ship. The cockpit was in the center of the ship, and resembled nothing so much as a great eye, looking out at the _Millennium Falcon_.

These new vessels were called TIE fighters.

Upon seeing these fighters, Han Solo sprang into action, forcing the _Millennium Falcon_ to do the same. The ship spiraled about in largely successful attempts to avoid the green bolts from the TIE fighters' blaster cannons. To Chewbacca, Han shouted, "Chewie! Prepare to make the jump to lightspeed!"

Sora tensed at this statement. _Lightspeed_? They were going to run away _now_, when Kairi (and, of slightly lesser importance in Sora's present state of mind, Donald and Goofy) was still somewhere down there on Hoth? There was no way in the worlds that Sora would let anything happen to her... to _them_. His wife, his unborn child, and two of his best friends were in danger of being left behind. Sora opened his mouth to protest, to shout in Han Solo's ear if necessary that he was _not_ leaving the system without those four very important persons.

C-3PO beat him to it. "But sir!" the golden droid cried frantically. Sora raised a brow tentatively. Why did _C-3PO_ not want to leave the system?

Alas, the droid's cry was in vain. Han Solo was already reaching for the controls. Sora looked around at Mickey, Riku, and Taran/ The three had expressions of sadness upon their faces, but they knew that Han was not about to risk his life to pick up _more_ passengers. And it didn't help matters that Kairi was currently pregnant, and most likely to be considered a liability by whoever the soldiers of this so-called "Rebel Alliance" were.

Sora's thoughts were interrupted as Princess Leia Organa exclaimed, "They're getting closer!"

Han Solo watched with a smirk as the TIE fighters appeared as incoming blips on the _Millennium Falcon_'s radar screen. "Oh yeah? Watch _this_!"

Sora shut his eyes as Han pulled back on the hyperdrive shift. How would Kairi, Donald, and Goofy ever find them _now_? The _Millennium Falcon_ was probably speeding through hyperspace already, far away from the planet Hoth. _Kairi, I'm so sorry. _Sora thought. _I never should've brought you to this galaxy..._

"Watch _what_?"

Sora opened his eyes after hearing Leia's cynical question. The _Millennium Falcon_ hadn't moved since Han had pulled the hyperdrive shift. Sora could still make out the planet Hoth beyond the massive window at the front of the cockpit. He and his fellow Keybearers breathed a sigh of relief. This would buy those aboard the _Cygnus_ a bit of time to catch up. Sora reflected that he'd never been so happy to see a ship malfunction in all his life.

Han Solo did not share this outlook. "I think we're in trouble." he muttered, glancing over the _Millennium Falcon_'s many monitors.

"If I may say so, sir," C-3PO addressed Han, "I noticed earlier the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged. It's impossible to go to lightspeed!"

"We're in trouble." Han affirmed, practically leaping from his seat and racing toward where the hyperdrive motivator was housed. Chewbacca followed soon after, leaving Leia alone at the flight controls.

Riku breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a close one." he murmured. "For a minute there, I thought we'd leave everybody on the _Cygnus_ behind."

"We still don't have much time" Sora told him. "As soon as that motivator's fixed, we're as good as gone. We gotta find the _Cygnus_ before then."

King Mickey nodded pensively. "Agreed... but where could we start lookin'?"

Just then, Sora shot bolt upright. He felt something deep in his heart... a feeling of warmth, and of love. He knew it well. This feeling came over him every time Kairi was near, due to their hearts' special link. He could sense her presence somewhere nearby, though he couldn't pinpoint her exact location.

That question was answered by a sudden shout from Princess Leia. "There's another ship moving in fast... it just destroyed a TIE fighter! But I've never _seen_ a ship like this before!"

Sora quickly rushed to the large window of the _Millennium Falcon_'s cockpit with high hopes and a strong feeling in his heart. Sure enough, the familiar multicolor hull of the _Cygnus_ streaked past the _Millennium Falcon_, with another TIE fighter in hot pursuit. The _Cygnus_ quickly spun around and fired a barrage of blaster bolts at the TIE, which exploded into a massive blossom of flame.

As soon as he found the willpower to tear his eyes from the window, Sora turned toward his friends. "It's them, guys!" he exclaimed happily. "We gotta contact 'em!"

King Mickey smiled warmly. "Go ahead, Sora." he said with a warm chuckle.

Sora acknowledged the king with a smile and a nod before reaching into his pocket and removing his cell phone. Sora hardly ever needed to call Kairi, since the two were hardly ever apart, but she was the first number on his speed dial nonetheless. He quickly pressed the appropriate button, then held the phone to his ear, retreating to the main hold of the _Falcon_ in order to talk to his wife in private. As he waited for her to pick up, Sora couldn't stop himself from grinning.

All he could think about was how _happy_ he was that Kairi was still alive.

* * *

"Are you sure it's _that_ one?"

Donald Duck's feathered fingers danced over the controls of the _Cygnus_, deftly avoiding more blaster fire from the remaining two TIE fighters. He mumbled and quacked to himself as he struggled to keep the ship steady, being extra careful not to let the ship move in a manner that might in any way affect the precious cargo developing in Kairi's womb. He couldn't believe what was happening. Here he was, in the middle of a dogfight, trying with all his might to keep up with a disk-shaped vessel that looked more like a flying junk pile than anything else.

All because Kairi had told him to.

"_Yes_, I'm sure." Kairi told the duck firmly. "Sora's on that ship--I can feel it in my heart."

"Come on, Donald!" Goofy said from his seat right next to Kairi. "You know how strong Sora's and Kairi's hearts are connected. If Kairi says Sora's on that ship, then I'm sure Sora's on that ship."

"Aww, phooey." Donald muttered, returning his attention to the battle at hand. The duck couldn't help but smirk as he watched the third of the TIE fighters explode. Now there was only one left to destroy before he could--

"_Winnie the Pooh! Winnie the Pooh! Tubby little chubby all stuffed with fluff, he's Winnie the Pooh! Winnie the--_"

"Hey!" Donald interjected. "What's the big idea? Who's singing that song?"

Kairi blushed as she reached for her purse, which sat beside her chair in the _Cygnus_'s cockpit. "Sorry." she apologized. "It's my cell phone."

"That sure is a funny ring tone, Kairi!" Goofy hyucked.

"What?" Kairi questioned indignantly as she finally retrieved her phone from her purse. "I like it. It's cute." With this, Kairi pressed her cell phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"_Kairi!_" came the sound of Sora's voice from the other end of the line. "_You're alive! I was so _worried_ about you!_"

"Sora?" Kairi asked, her voice spilling over with the joy of hearing her husband's voice again. "Where are you?"

"_We're on the big round ship._" Sora answered. After a pause, he added, "_You know, the junky-looking one? It's called the _Millennium Falcon_._"

"I _knew_ it!" Kairi exclaimed happily. "I _knew _you were on that ship. Goofy believed me, but Donald didn't, no matter how many times I told him."

"_Somehow I'm not surprised._" Sora replied, chuckling as he did so. Kairi giggled right along with him, if for no other reason than her gladness to hear Sora's joyful, inescapably contagious laughter again. It had been his first such laughter since arriving in this galaxy.

After a moment, Sora sobered up. "_I gotta go now, Kairi. The hyperdrive on this ship's busted, so we won't be leaving you anytime soon. Just tell Donald to keep tracking this ship, and we'll be together real soon, okay?_"

"Promise?" Kairi questioned. To anyone but Sora and Kairi, such a query may have seemed unnecessary, even childish. But to Kairi, the question was a very important one. She always felt better when Sora made promises to her, because Sora _never_ broke his promises. A promise from Sora was the most reassuring thing in the worlds, to Kairi at least.

Kairi could practically hear the smile in Sora's answer. "_Promise._"

"Okay, I'll tell Donald." Kairi told Sora. She tried her best to convey her smile with her voice as she said, "Bye, Sora. I love you."

"_I love you too, Kai._" Sora returned. "_Bye._"

With that, Sora hung up. Kairi's facial expression became one of utter determination as she tucked her phone into her purse again. "Donald," she stated firmly as she looked at the _Millennium Falcon_'s image on the Gummi ship's viewscreen, "follow that ship."

Donald had heard every word of the conversation (on Kairi's end, at least), and was only too happy to oblige. "You got it, Your Highness!" he quacked. The last TIE fighter had been destroyed during the phone conversation, and the Gummi ship met no resistance as it blasted off to catch up with the _Millennium Falcon_.

Though he would never admit it, Donald was glad that he'd been wrong this time.

* * *

Sora still wore a massive grin on his face as he hung up his phone and dashed into the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_. "Great news, guys!" Sora announced. "The _Cygnus _is gonna meet up with us whenever we land."

"The _Cygnus_?" Princess Leia repeated, confused.

"The ship that just blew up those fighters." Riku explained, having stayed in the cockpit to watch the _Cygnus_'s dogfight with the TIE fighters. "It's got three more of our friends on it. If you could just let it follow us until we land, then the four of us can leave the _Millennium Falcon_ and board the _Cygnus_."

Leia shrugged. "_I_ don't see a problem, but you'd have to ask Han. He's down in the--"

Leia's words were suddenly cut off by a massive impact that caused the ship to jolt violently. Accompanying this jolt was a loud cry of, "_Ow!_ Chewie!"

That must have been Han.

This was affirmed by Princess Leia as she shouted, "Han, get up here!"

"I don't understand. What's going on?" Taran questioned, looking around at the other three Keybearers.

"Just take a look out the window." Riku told his apprentice. Taran did so, and he gasped. The _Millennium Falcon_ was headed straight for Hoth's asteroid belt!

Han Solo and Chewbacca burst into the cockpit a moment later. "Oh no." Han muttered as he and his Wookiee companion took their seats. According to the readouts, the _Falcon_'s shields were faring decently against the debris of the asteroid field, but there was now an _Imperial-II_ class Star Destroyer in pursuit of the ship. The Star Destroyer wasn't in firing range yet, but Han knew it wouldn't take long unless a course of action was decided upon. "Chewie, set two-seven-one." he commanded.

"What are you doing?" Leia demanded upon hearing this order. "You're not actually going into an asteroid field?"

"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" Han retorted, leading the _Millennium Falcon_ deeper into the asteroid field.

From where the four Keybearers stood in the back of the cockpit, Riku smirked at Sora. "You know, this is the kind of thing I would expect from _you_."

Sora nodded with a sheepish grin. "It is, isn't it? I just hope Han can get this ship through... and that _Donald_ can get the _Cygnus_ through."

"Not to worry, Sora." King Mickey assured him with a warm smile. "Donald's a pretty good pilot, remember? I _know_ he'll get the _Cygnus_ through!"

Sora had to agree. He remembered that, during the beginning of his very first adventure seven years ago, Donald had gotten them safely out of several nasty space battles. The little duck was a good aviator, Sora knew. Still, the thought of the _Cygnus _rocking and bucking amidst the chaos of the asteroid field made Sora worry. What adverse effects could it have on the _baby_?

The interjection by C-3PO didn't help very much. "Sir," he addressed Han, "the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one!"

"Never tell me the odds!" Han Solo retorted. He checked his readouts again, and the Star Destroyer pursuing the _Millennium Falcon_ now seemed to be falling behind. However, there was a different vessel that remained within _very_ close proximity to the_ Falcon_. "Can someone tell me whose ship that is and why it's following us like a dog? It can't be anything of the Empire's--they don't paint their ships purple."

"It's ours; it's called the _Cygnus_." Sora told Han. "There'll be plenty of time to explain once we get out of this asteroid field."

"Agreed." Han acknowledged, not giving the _Cygnus_ a second thought as the _Millennium Falcon_ drove deeper into Hoth's asteroid belt. The farther the _Falcon_ went, however, the asteroids just seemed to get bigger. The _Millennium Falcon_ had only narrowly avoided several potential crashes, and on top of everything else, the _Imperial-II_ class Star Destroyer had now entered the asteroid belt.

Everyone aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ was tense. Han Solo and Chewbacca were absorbed in their piloting, doing their best to get the ship out of the asteroid belt intact. Princess Leia sat motionless and solemn, obviously anxious. C-3PO was _very_ anxious, his hands occasionally popping up to cover his eyes as the _Falcon_ continued to pull off narrower and narrower evasions. Sora's mouth was a grim line and his eyes were fixed firmly on one of the _Millennium Falcon_'s sensor screens, always watching to make sure that the _Cygnus_ was still following. Riku's eyes constantly darted from the _Falcon_'s monitors to its massive window as he tried to absorb the entirety of his surroundings. Taran's gaze was directed out the window, always looking to see whether an asteroid might be incoming. King Mickey's eyes, however, remained completely closed. The mouse king kept his head down and his hand on the wall of the cockpit, as though quietly mediating despite the current circumstances. A calming aura seemed to exude from Mickey's body, which at least slightly eased everyone's hearts. However, Mickey's aura could not completely wipe away the fears from everyone's minds.

"You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake." Han told Leia, never tearing his eyes away from the cockpit window. "Well, this could be it, sweetheart."

"I take it back." Leia quickly decided. "We're going to get _pulverized _if we stay out here much longer!"

"Ain't gonna argue with that." Han acknowledged.

"Wait a minute!" Sora interjected, finally managing to look away from the _Millennium Falcon_'s sensor screen. "_Pulverized_?"

"I'm going in closer to one of the big ones." Han stated in a manner that almost sounded cold.

"_Closer_?" Leia, C-3PO, and Taran all repeated at once. Chewbacca even barked the word in his own language. Riku and Mickey only looked out at Han's destination, and Sora wore a look that clearly said, _go for it_.

So go for it he did.

* * *

Aboard the _Cygnus_, Kairi was beginning to feel nauseous. King Mickey's private Gummi ship was a bit smaller than the _Millennium Falcon_, but Donald Duck was not on the same level of piloting as Sora or Han Solo. They had followed the _Falcon_ thus far, certainly enough, but Kairi was beginning to wonder how much longer they could last in the wide asteroid belt of Hoth.

Suddenly, on the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_, Kairi saw the _Millennium Falcon_ fall into a steep dive, directly toward an asteroid the size of a small moon. "Wak!" Donald quacked as he quickly imitated the maneuver. "This isn't an escape, it's a suicide mission!"

Kairi would have responded, but her stomach lurched violently as the _Cygnus_ continued to follow the _Millennium Falcon_, which was now speeding along the asteroid's surface. Kairi placed her hand to her stomach and shut her eyes tightly. "Hang in there." she found herself whispering to her unborn child. "We'll make it out of this."

When she heard herself speaking to her child (regardless of whether it could hear) in such a manner, with such a motherly tone to her voice, she discovered that she believed the words to be true. They _would_ make it. They _had_ to.

After a moment of skimming the asteroid's surface, the _Millennium Falcon_ finally seemed to have reached a decision. On the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_, Kairi could see some sort of circular shadow--a massive crater that was both wide and, if the darkness of its gaping mouth was any indication, deep. The _Millennium Falcon_ swerved into a dive that brought it inside the crater. The _Cygnus_ soon followed, and the viewscreen suddenly went dark. A moment later, a tiny flicker of light appeared on the viewscreen as the _Millennium Falcon_'s floodlights flickered on. Since these lights were largely blocked from view by the _Falcon_ itself, Donald Duck was forced to engage the floodlights aboard the _Cygnus_ as well.

The crater was indeed deep and vast, more like a tunnel than anything. Where it would eventually lead, no one knew. However, at the moment, Kairi didn't care. She knew that whoever was piloting the _Falcon_ had come inside this crater with the intention of _landing_. This meant that the _Cygnus_ would be landing also.

Kairi would be reunited with Sora soon.

* * *

**A/n: Well, there it is. I kind of liked it, though it's certainly not my best.**

**Now, I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed and supported my story. My last chapter broke the record again, with an astonishing (for me) _ten_ reviews. At this rate, we'll reach a hundred reviews in no time.**

**If you would, whenever you find a free moment, I would appreciate it if you proceeded to my profile page. I have made several changes to it, including the following:**

**1) April's Quote of the Month**

**2) The addition of another future story idea, and an important announcement immediately following.**

**3) A new section entitled _Other Items_. As of now, there is only one item under this heading, entitled SHAMELESS ADVERTISEMENT. I do hope you will read it and heed its words, but whether you do or not is entirely up to you.**

**A gentle reminder (as if you really need one): PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	5. The Republic is Dead

**A/N: Here you go. Chapter 5. It's _very_ explanatory at the beginning, but it _does_ get better as it goes along. I promise.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: "The Republic is Dead"**

The bottom of the asteroid cave was reached only a moment the _Millennium Falcon _and _Cygnus_ had entered its mouth. Kairi had wanted to see Sora _very_ badly, but was a bit precautious about leaving the safety of the Gummi ship—they _were_ still in space, after all, and asteroids were not known to have atmospheres. No one aboard the Gummi ship owned a spacesuit, nor would they have remembered to bring it along on the _Cygnus_ if they did. Therefore, as Kairi remorsefully acknowledged, they were still stuck.

Donald Duck, fortunately for all those aboard the Gummi ship, had accidentally stumbled upon a solution. "Something's screwy!" he quacked. "There's _air_ in these caves!"

Kairi's face lit up, processing all that this meant. She could see Sora after all! "_What_?" she questioned, unable to conceal her joy.

"It's true!" Donald affirmed. "The whole cave is pressurized! I just don't understand it!"

"What's to understand?" Goofy asked with a cheerful smile. "If there's air in here, then we can all get on that other ship!"

"Yeah!" Donald shouted, filling up with excitement. "Ready to go, Queen Kai—"

Before Donald could so much as utter Kairi's full name, the queen of Radiant Garden was already out of her seat. "What are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's go!"

"Hold on a second, fellas!" Goofy addressed his friends. He reached for a compartment built into the ceiling of the Gummi ship, removing from it a compact breath mask, a portable life support unit designed to provide oxygen in environments whose atmospheres did not already contain enough of the essential gas. "Safety first!" Goofy hyucked, passing this breath mask to Kairi. He removed a second breath mask shaped to accommodate a duck's bill and handed it to Donald; the last breath mask he removed was his own, designed to cover his doglike snout. Arrayed with these masks, the trio exited the _Cygnus_ and started toward the _Millennium Falcon_.

It didn't take long for the threesome to notice a few… _peculiarities_… about the asteroid cave. For one thing, the cave was filled with a thick mist, made visible by the floodlights of the _Cygnus_ and the _Millennium Falcon_. And for another…

"Yuck!" Donald exclaimed. "The ground's all _squashy_!"

"I know." Kairi nodded. "And it's so _humid_. What kind of cave _is_ this?"

Goofy opened his mouth hesitantly, as though he were about to answer. Before he could, however, his eyes grew wide and he pointed into the darkness of the cave. "Guys, look out!"

Before either Donald or Kairi could question his meaning, a leathery, flying creature burst forth from the dark and flew at the trio. Donald quickly cast a Firaga spell at the creature, which connected with a mighty flash. This illuminated the cave just long enough for everyone to get a good look at the creature.

It was quite large, reaching a meter from head to tail and with a wingspan just as long. The creature's leathery skin was beige in color; its eyes were a soulless black and mounted on centimeter-long eyestalks. The creature's body resembled that of a very large bat, with a hideous sucker for a mouth. This creature was called a mynock: silicon-based organisms that dwelled mainly in the cold vacuum of space, feeding on the energy of starships and other spacecraft.

To this mynock, the two ships in the cave must have looked like a readily prepared buffet table.

Everyone absorbed the unsightly appearance of the mynock in only a millisecond, which was just how long it took for Donald's Firaga spell to diminish. The mynock screeched loudly, fluttering back into the dark recesses of the asteroid cave.

Kairi's eyes were wide. "Uhh… guys?" she questioned shakily. "What was that thing?"

"Beats me." Goofy shrugged. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Come on!" Donald instructed her with a friendly smile. "We can't keep Sora waiting!"

Kairi shook her head, a smile shining through her transparent breath mask. "You're right. Let's go."

* * *

In the _Millennium Falcon_'s main hold, Sora paced back and forth, anxiously waiting for Kairi, Donald, and Goofy. Riku, Taran, and King Mickey were also in the main hold, standing idly near the walls. C-3PO and Chewbacca had been sent to determine what was wrong with the faulty hyperdrive, while Han and Leia remained alone in the cockpit. Sora sensed that there was more to the relationship between those two than met the eye, but he did not dwell long upon it. He had his _own_ relationship to consider—Kairi still had yet to board the _Falcon_. _What's taking her so long?_ Sora wondered.

His thoughts proved to be prophetic. No sooner had the thought popped into his head than he began to feel something. But this was not just any _something_; this was the _something_ of Kairi's heart tugging at its bond with Sora's, just as it always would whenever the two were in close proximity. Through this bond, Sora could feel Kairi's anticipation of seeing him again, her overpowering desire to seize him in a passionate embrace and never let go.

He returned this desire just as passionately, and he was sure that Kairi could feel it.

Without a word to anyone, Sora approached a control panel on the wall of the _Millennium Falcon_'s main hold. Han Solo had told Sora how to operate the _Falcon_'s landing ramp in the event that those aboard the _Cygnus_ would want to join their companions. So it was that with the flip of a switch and the press of a button, the landing ramp was engaged. Sora's body nearly trembled with the anticipation of his long-awaited reunion with Kairi. He flashed his trademark grin as the landing ramp finally touched the ground.

He barely had time to realize that Kairi was aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ before her arms were wrapped around his neck and her lips were pressed firmly against his. Behind him, he could hear Han Solo and Princess Leia entering the main hold from the cockpit, as well as C-3PO and Chewbacca emerging from elsewhere in the ship. In front of him, he could hear the rest of his friends greeting Donald and Goofy as they boarded. His mind registered these things, but he paid them no heed. As long as his lips touched Kairi's, he paid no attention to anything else around him. For that moment, those things did not even exist. For that moment, there was no _Millennium Falcon_, there was no asteroid cave, there was no Darth Vader… for that moment, there wasn't even a _galaxy_.

For that moment, Sora and Kairi were the only two objects in existence.

At last, Sora and Kairi broke apart, and the rest of the universe came into being once more. Still, even though the kiss was over, Sora and Kairi continued to keep their arms firmly in place, each holding the other tightly, as though to let go would mean being separated again. Kairi's dazzling indigo eyes looked up into Sora's orbs of cerulean, and she whispered, "Sora, I was so _worried_ about you!"

Sora chuckled softly. "About _me_? What about _you_? Are you okay? Is the _baby_ okay?"

Kairi nodded. "We're fine, Sora. We missed you, though."

Sora was about to respond, but at this point, Han Solo loudly cleared his throat. "All right," he said, "would somebody _please_ tell me what's going on?"

"Oh!" Sora said sheepishly, quickly letting go of Kairi and turning to face the _Millennium Falcon_'s captain. "This is Kairi." He said, gesturing toward his wife. He then looked in Donald and Goofy's direction. "Over there are Donald and Goofy."

Princess Leia looked tentatively between Sora and Kairi. "Are you two…"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. We're married."

"And Kairi's gonna have a baby!" Goofy hyucked.

"_Swell_." Han Solo stated dryly. "We're out here in the middle of an asteroid field with the Empire right behind us, and now we've got a _pregnant lady_ on our ship."

All seven of those not native to the galaxy looked around at each other in confusion. Sora was the one to ask the question on everyone's mind. "Uhh… we were wondering… what exactly is the 'Empire'?"

For the second time that day, Princess Leia's and Han Solo's jaws dropped. "How do you not _know_?" Han questioned bluntly. "Have you been hiding under a rock for the past _two decades_?"

"Two decades?" Riku repeated. "No way. The last time we came to this galaxy was three years ago, and there was no 'Empire' then. There was just a Galactic Republic."

Leia continued to stare in disbelief. "The Republic is _dead_. It has been for twenty-two years. How could you not know that?"

"If I may offer a theory, Princess Leia," C-3PO interjected, "but did they not say that they came from another galaxy? It could be that time has moved at a different rate there."

The theory was plausible (in fact, it was correct), and everyone accepted it. However, Kairi was a bit preoccupied, and did not process the theory as she should have. She was too busy staring at C-3PO. It had taken her a moment to recognize him, since he had apparently gained shiny golden casing, but his voice was unmistakable. Her face lit up as soon as she saw him, and she immediately exclaimed, "Threepio!"

C-3PO acknowledged her with a bow. "Yes, I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. Have we met before?"

Kairi looked stunned, and for a moment, so did everyone else. Han Solo and his party felt this way because they wondered if C-3PO really _had_ met Kairi before. The seven companions not native to this galaxy, however, were stunned that C-3PO failed to recognize Kairi.

Kairi tried again. "Come on, Threepio! Don't you remember? We met on Tatooine—back before you had coverings."

"I beg your pardon!" C-3PO said with what could have been the droid equivalent of a huff. "I have _always_ had coverings, thank you very much! The very idea—a respectable protocol droid such as myself wandering around _naked_!"

"What about King Mickey?" Kairi questioned. "Do you remember _him_?"

"I do apologize, miss… _Kairi_, was it? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." C-3PO leaned close to Han Solo and whispered (or would have whispered, had he been able to lower his voice), "I would watch this one, Captain Solo. She seems to be a little… _odd_."

Upon hearing this, a stifled laugh escaped the lips of both Sora and Riku. Kairi turned to face them and crossed her arms. "Hey! I am not _odd_!"

"I dunno, Kairi" Sora told her with a grin. "You _are_ pretty weird."

Kairi playfully slapped Sora's arm, and the seven companions not native to the galaxy all shared a good laugh (Han Solo's party, meanwhile, continued to stare at the seven as though they were crazy).

Once the laughter died down, King Mickey's thoughts returned to the matter at hand. "Wait a minute." he said, looking at Princess Leia inquisitively. "What happened to the Republic?"

Princess Leia heaved a heavy sigh. She did not like to talk about the Empire, the very same institution that had destroyed her entire home world when she had been only nineteen years old. She had seen the terror and corruption that the Empire was capable of firsthand, even surviving torture by Darth Vader himself.

It was a cruel irony that her birthday fell on the exact date of the Empire's establishment.

"Many years ago," Leia informed King Mickey and company, "there was a war that spread all across the galaxy: the Clone Wars. During these wars, a group of systems seceded from the Republic and attempted to take over the galaxy themselves. The Separatists, as these systems were called, fought the Republic for three years. Everyone thought the Republic would win, but... it was all part of a plot by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine."

"We know who he is." Sora nodded with a fierce scowl on his face. During his last excursion to this galaxy, he had noticed that Palpatine exuded an aura of darkness identical to that of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith responsible for the Battle of Naboo (Sora knew Sidious well—the Sith Lord had allied himself with Sora during his brief fall to the dark side). Now, there was no doubt in Sora's mind that Palpatine and Sidious were one and the same.

This was affirmed by Leia's next statement. "The war was all engineered by Palpatine in order to make himself emperor. Over the course of the Clone Wars, Palpatine used the supermajority he controlled in the Senate in order to give himself large amounts of emergency powers. He finally was able to declare himself emperor at the end of the war, when his enforcer, Darth Vader, had wiped out the last of the Separatists. Now he rules the galaxy with armies of Stormtroopers, soldiers in white armor completely loyal to Palpatine."

"Those were the soldiers _we_ fought!" Taran exclaimed, glad to finally be able to understand _something _about this strange galaxy.

Princess Leia acknowledged him with a nod. "Yes. And now the only opposition to the Empire is the Rebel Alliance—the organized insurrection that pledges to stop the Empire and restore the values that the Republic was founded on."

"No wonder we were called to this galaxy." Mickey murmured. "We've got a big mess to clean up."

"_Mess_?" Han repeated skeptically. "_Clean up_? This is _war_, not a chemical spill! What can you do that we've not already done?"

"Nothing." Sora told him. "We're gonna _help_—it's kind of our thing."

"But… where can you go?" Leia questioned. "The Rebel Alliance would welcome you all, of course, but we wouldn't know what to _do_ with you. According to eyewitness accounts, you've displayed powers that no one understands."

"There is _one_ place." Riku pointed out. "Can you get us to Coruscant?"

"_Coruscant_?" C-3PO repeated. "Oh my! Coruscant is the seat of power for the whole Empire! Why would you _ever_ want to go there… under the emperor's very _nose_?"

"That's where the Jedi Temple is, isn't it?" Riku questioned. "They should be able to help."

Han Solo shook his head. "I hate to break it to you, pal, but the Jedi don't exist anymore."

Many jaws dropped at this, but none dropped quite so far as King Mickey's. "_What_?" he demanded (as much as one with such a distinct falsetto voice _could_ be accused of demanding). "_All_ of 'em? What happened?"

"They were destroyed." Princess Leia stated with sadness in her eyes and voice. "At the end of the Clone Wars, Palpatine issued a command called Order Sixty-Six. When that order was issued, all the clones turned on the Jedi, striking many of them down before they even had a chance to fight back. Those that survived Order Sixty-Six were hunted down by Darth Vader. He killed them all _personally_. His latest victory was over Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the last Jedi I knew of that was still alive."

Everyone was stunned to hear this news. Of them all, Sora was one of the most heavily impacted. He had fought alongside Obi-Wan in order to defeat Darth Maul some time ago, and Obi-Wan remained the only Jedi that Sora had ever truly gotten to know. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. "Not _Obi-Wan_!"

Leia nodded. "Yes, it's true. Obi-Wan is dead. Now, the only one with even a _little_ Jedi knowledge is our friend Luke Skywalker."

Kairi suddenly shot bolt upright, her eyes growing wide. Her thoughts suddenly turned to a little boy from Tatooine, with dreams of becoming the greatest Jedi to ever live. "Did you say _Skywalker_?" she asked excitedly. Could Luke really be related to—perhaps even the _son_ of—little Annie?

"That's right." Leia affirmed. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Not directly." Kairi said. "But I knew _Anakin_ Skywalker. Have you ever heard of him?"

"_I_ have." Han Solo answered. "According to Obi-Wan, Anakin was Luke's father—a _Jedi_, I think. But ol' Buckethead killed _him_, too."

"_Vader_." Sora repeated through gritted teeth. He felt as angry as Kairi looked sad. Though he had known Anakin for only a short time, he knew that the boy had been a very close friend of Kairi's during the last excursion to this galaxy. That alone was enough for Sora to consider Anakin a comrade of his own. The more he heard about Darth Vader, the more he hated him. The Sith Lord seemed more like a monster than a man.

Riku was the only one who remained emotionally detached upon hearing this news. He was quite good at being detached—he had practiced this often, especially in Kairi's presence. He was able to remain focused and objective as he said, "So I guess Luke's our only lead. Do you know where we could _find_ him?"

Han Solo nodded. "I do. Not too long ago, me and Luke went on a recon mission around our base down there on Hoth. Luke went missing, and I had to go look for him. When I found him, he was muttering about going to 'Dagobah,' wherever that is."

"I know where it is." C-3PO offered. "I would be happy to transmit the coordinates to your ship's computer."

"Good." King Mickey nodded. "You get on that, Threepio. Come on, fellas. Let's get back to the _Cygnus_."

Sora and Kairi were two of the first to head toward the landing ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_, but King Mickey stopped them. "Hang on a second, fellas. You two stay here. We need one Keyblade Master to stay on _this_ ship, just in case somethin' happens." With a smile, the mouse king added, "And I know how much you want Kairi to be safe. We don't know what kind of danger we'll find on Dagobah."

Sora nodded and flashed a wide grin at King Mickey. "Thanks, Your Majesty."

"Be careful." Kairi added.

"We will!" Donald quacked as King Mickey set about casting powerful Aeroja spells around everyone who would be leaving the ship. These spells would generate enough air around the group to provide oxygen, as well as to dispel any unfriendly gases from their nostrils. Han Solo approached the landing ramp controls, causing the ramp to lower and permitting the five companions to exit.

By the time Mickey and the others in his company reached the _Cygnus_, they found the coordinates of Dagobah already downloaded. Donald Duck took the captain's chair of the _Cygnus_ once more, and the ship blasted out of the asteroid cave. King Mickey took notice that, at the very mouth of the cave, there seemed to be rows of _teeth_. When the Cygnus activated its warp drive and sped toward Dagobah, Mickey only shrugged and dismissed these "teeth" as natural rock formations. Still, something about the teeth nagged at his heart, as though they were some sort of _threat_.

He had no more time to dwell on it, for Dagobah was fast approaching.

* * *

Admiral Firmus Piett swallowed hard as he entered the dreaded meditation chamber of Darth Vader. He had a feeling that the message he was about to deliver would not please the Dark Lord of the Sith. He had heard other Imperial officers already whispering behind his back when they thought he wasn't listening; they were already making bets about Piett's life expectancy. Darth Vader's military leaders tended not to last long. Piett had to resist the urge to bring a hand defensively to his throat, just to make sure that it was still there, not being constricted by Darth Vader's rage.

As Piett entered the doorway, his fears were instantly magnified.

The Dark Lord of the Sith was sitting in his meditation sphere, his back facing away from Piett. This time, though, Lord Vader was not wearing his helmet. Piett shuddered as he gazed upon the pale, hairless, heavily scarred features of the back of Vader's naked head.

Darth Vader could sense Piett's fear without having to face him. _Yes, Admiral, look for as long as you like_. he thought. _Imagine the worst, and let your fear fuel my power_.

It was ironic. Ever since he had been a child, Darth Vader had been constantly plagued by fear, particularly the fear of loss. But now, fear was the Dark Lord of the Sith's greatest weapon. His mastery of the Force and skill with the lightsaber were _nothing_ compared to the sheer psychological damage his mere presence was capable of inflicting.

At last, a mechanical clamp lowered from the ceiling of Vader's meditation sphere, once again securing the helmet of shining ebony to the Sith Lord's head. With his helmet now firmly in place, Vader swiveled his chair to face Piett. "Yes, Admiral?" he questioned.

"Our ships have sighted the _Millennium Falcon_, Lord." Piett stated as calmly as he could, despite the horrible fantasies playing through his mind about how _terrible_ Darth Vader's visage must be under that helmet. "But… it has entered an asteroid field, and we cannot risk…"

"Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral." Darth Vader cut him off, the deep monotone of his haunting voice ringing in Piett's ears like an iron bell. "I want that ship, not excuses."

"Yes, Lord." Piett acknowledged the Sith Lord with a brief nod. The worst news was yet to come. "Also, we have detected a small ship exiting the asteroid field. It entered lightspeed before our own vessels could pursue."

Rage welled up inside Darth Vader, and he considered throttling Piett right then, but his anger soon quelled as he reached deep into the Force. He could still feel it… Sora and Kairi were still somewhere in the asteroid belt. He could not determine exactly_ where_, but he knew that they must still be aboard the _Falcon_. Vader's rage subsided completely as he told Piett, "Do not concern yourself with that ship. The _Millennium Falcon_ is your only target."

Piett looked confused, but only nodded. "Yes, Lord Vader."

Vader sensed that Piett was not yet finished. The man had gone deathly pale—even more so than he did when standing in Darth Vader's presence. "Yes, Admiral, what is it?" the Sith Lord questioned.

Piett's voice began to tremble. "The emperor demands that you make contact with him."

Vader did not visibly move, but inside, he was reeling. Why did the emperor request contact _now_? Perhaps he too sensed the presence of the Keybearers and their allies in this galaxy. Perhaps he wanted them _dealt with_. This put Darth Vader on edge. While he could kill most of them without question, he did not know if he could bring himself to destroy Kairi.

Correction: he _did_ know. He knew that he could not do it. Kairi had been one of Vader's closest friends when the Sith Lord had only been a child; she reminded him too much of his former life. If he destroyed her, he would lose all ties to his past self.

He would lose all ties to _Padmé_.

All he said to Piett was, "Leave me."

"Yes, Lord." Piett said quickly before walking away as fast as he could without making it look like he was running. The admiral had no desire to watch a conversation between the two most frightening beings in the galaxy, even if one _was_ transmitting from many light years away.

Once Piett had left, Darth Vader stepped from his meditation sphere. He now stood on a circular black panel, a scanner that would allow him to send transmission to anywhere in the galaxy. Vader dropped to his left knee and bowed his head; no sooner had he done so than the panel's outer ring began to glow bright white, and the holographic image of Emperor Palpatine's face appeared.

Palpatine had changed a great deal in thirty-five years, looking far more like his true self: Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith and the current master of Darth Vader. His features were now wrinkled and misshapen, his eyes sunken in and partially shaded by the dark hood he wore. His eyes themselves were a piercing yellow that could pierce right through a man's breast in order to peer into his heart. The hologram only depicted Palpatine's head, but that was enough—the hologram was as tall as the room itself, distorting the emperor's features even further.

Finally looking up, Darth Vader stated, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"_There is a great disturbance in the Force_." Palpatine's hologram responded. The emperor's voice had changed along with his appearance—his tone was now cackling and evil, spitting out words like poisonous darts.

"I have felt it." Darth Vader replied to the emperor's statement.

"_It would seem that a few old enemies have returned to this galaxy, no doubt seeking to dethrone me._" Palpatine went on. "_You should remember them well, Lord Vader: a band of 'Keyblade Masters' led by a man called _Sora_._"

"Yes, I have sensed their presence." Darth Vader affirmed. "We are tracking him now. His friends have escaped our grasp, but Sora and his wife still remain here in the Hoth system."

To deduce that Kairi was Sora's wife was not a particularly difficult mental exercise for Darth Vader. He had already sensed that Kairi was pregnant, and he knew from personal experience that Sora was Kairi's only love. It just seemed _natural_ that they should be married, and as he spoke the words, he felt the truth of them in the Force.

Palpatine, however, seemed fascinated by this development. "_Wife?_" he repeated, his yellow eyes wide for a moment. Then, the emperor's shocked expression slowly twisted into a sinister smile. "_Good. This distraction will make him weak. He will be easily dealt with. His escaped friends will be of no help to him. They can be left to their own devices until the time is right to eliminate them._"

"Yes, my master." Vader said automatically.

"_Now, Lord Vader,_" Palpatine continued, "_we must move on to another matter—and another enemy. The young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt the boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker._"

Darth Vader completely froze. He knew all too well that Anakin Skywalker had nearly been a father… but he had no _idea_ that the child had actually _survived_. If what Palpatine said was true…

"How is that possible?" Vader managed to ask without the slightest trace of emotion in his voice.

"_Search your feelings, Lord Vader._" Palpatine told his apprentice. "_You will know it to be true. He could destroy us, even without the help of the Keyblade Masters._"

"He's just a boy." Vader contended. He had no doubt now that the son of Anakin Skywalker could indeed be alive. "Obi-Wan can no longer help him."

Darth Vader had seen to that _himself_.

Palpatine did not share this view. "_The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi._"

Vader felt the great chains of hatred and anger that bound his heart begin to loosen, just a little. He knew that the son of Anakin Skywalker was the second person on the list of individuals that he just _could not kill_. But perhaps there was another way…

"If he could be turned, he would become a powerful ally." Vader offered.

Palpatine's face contorted into what must have been an expression of thoughtfulness. Obviously, the emperor had never considered this thought. After all, Sith Lords were bound by the Rule of Two: one master, one apprentice. However, as Darth Vader could see in Palpatine's eyes, some rules were made to be broken.

At length, Palpatine decided, "_Yes. He would be a great asset. Can it be done?_"

"He will join us or die, master." Then, as an afterthought, Darth Vader asked, "And what of Sora? He has fallen to the dark side once before—perhaps he could be persuaded to do so again."

"_No._" Palpatine stated harshly, as though disgusted by the very idea. "_Sora has become too weak to serve our purpose, blinded by meaningless feelings of devotion… and of _love_._" Palpatine spat out this word out with even more malice than usual, as though merely uttering the word burned his tongue. "_He is useless. He must be eliminated along with his allies._"

Vader expressed no emotion, and allowed the chains of hate and anger to once again bind his heart with a firm grip. He had _tried_ to spare Sora and his family from death, but in the end, he knew that he would wipe them _all_ out. But this did not bring him as much pain as it would have only a few moments ago. As Palpatine's hologram flickered out of existence, Darth Vader had but one thought on his mind.

_I must find the son of Anakin Skywalker. I must find Luke_.

* * *

The _Cygnus_ emerged from warp space to find itself hovering above a planet draped in mist. It appeared to be covered with murky green marshland, with no large bodies of water not covered with foliage. Sensors aboard the _Cygnus_ detected no civilization, but massive amounts of life. This was a wild, untamed planet that may not have seen sentient life in ages.

If C-3PO's coordinates were correct, this planet was Dagobah.

Donald was pensive as he brought the _Cygnus_ closer to the planet. "This place gives me the creeps!" he quacked.

King Mickey didn't hear. He was meditating again, searching for any sign of the one called Luke Skywalker. He figured that, since Luke was the son of Anakin, the auras emitted by their hearts should be virtually identical. Sure enough, a moment later, he felt it: a surge of energy, with more potential for good or evil than any Jedi that Mickey had encountered before… save Anakin. Mickey pointed to an exact spot on the viewscreen of the _Cygnus_. "Take us down _here_, Donald." the mouse king instructed his friend.

"Ohh, I have a _bad_ feeling about this." Donald muttered, but he lowered the Cygnus nevertheless.

The atmosphere of Dagobah was thick, quite unlike that of the icy planet Hoth, but this was the _least_ of the differences between the two planets. Rather than snowy plains and mountain crags, Dagobah was filled with wet marshlands and massive trees, twisted and gnarled by time and decay. Moss and fungi abounded on the planet Dagobah, and everything seemed coated with a thin layer of green slime.

The _Cygnus_ found itself hovering directly above a watery peat bog that stretched on for many yards in any direction. The remains of what appeared to be an X-wing fighter jutted from the bog, adding to the haunting atmosphere of this dark and foreboding planet. "Land here, Donald." Mickey said. "I can feel Luke somewhere close."

Donald pressed a button on the control panel of the _Cygnus_, and instantly, the emergency water landing system was engaged. Large, watertight bags deployed from the bottom of the _Cygnus_'s hull, quickly filling with air as the _Cygnus_ descended. These air-filled bags kept the _Cygnus_ perfectly afloat in the dense water of the peat bog, saving the Gummi ship from the same fate as the submerged X-wing.

The landing ramp of the _Cygnus_ lowered just enough to barely touch the surface of the peat bog. King Mickey, Riku, and Taran leaped from the landing ramp to the top of the _Cygnus_'s hull; Donald and Goofy clambered after them. From this vantage point, they could make out a faint glow coming from the shore near the peat bog. As the mists of Dagobah began to clear, the five companions could see that this was really some kind of _camp_.

Indeed, someone had bunkered down near the peat bog, no more than ten yards from where the X-wing fighter jutted forth from the marshes. The glow they had seen was actually emitted by a compact fusion furnace, placed atop a rotten log. Around this furnace sat two figures. The first was a cylindrical droid, with a dome-shaped head and three legs upon which to stand; the second figure appeared to be human, wearing tan-colored clothing and with what appeared to be some sort of utility belt fixed about his waist. The man was currently placing a box (most likely containing provisions) on the ground nearby.

King Mickey was the first to approach. With the elegant grace one would expect from such a powerful Keyblade Master, Mickey leaped from the _Cygnus_ and landed only a few feet away from the camp. Riku and Taran imitated the king's feat, while Donald and Goofy were again forced to climb after them. King Mickey placed his finger to his lips, signaling for silence while he investigated the camp.

The human dwelling at the camp had apparently not noticed the arrival of the five newcomers. Indeed, the man seemed to be quite absorbed with his own thoughts. "Now," the man said, half to himself and half to his droid companion, "all I gotta do is find this 'Yoda'… if he even exists."

"Did you say _Yoda_?"

The man was on his feet in a flash, a blaster pistol now drawn and aimed straight at the mouse king. Rather than make a move to defend himself, however, Mickey only held up his hands and chuckled softly. "Sorry—didn't mean to scare ya." he said warmly. "But I thought you said you knew Yoda."

The man lowered his blaster weapon, but still eyed Mickey suspiciously. "Who are you?" he questioned.

"Gosh," Mickey said with a sigh, as though vexed by his own lack of manners, "my name's Mickey. Mickey Mouse. These," Mickey gestured toward his four allies, "are my friends: Riku, Taran, Donald and Goofy." As Mickey said each name, the respective owner of the name regarded him with either a nod or a wave. After these introductions, Mickey explained, "We're kinda new to this galaxy, but we wanna help you fight the Empire. Since the Jedi are gone, we didn't know where else to start. Your name's Luke, isn't it?"

The man who was indeed Luke Skywalker nodded, his head slowly, holstering his blaster as he did so. King Mickey was very outgoing and friendly, and the aura of powerful light exuded by his heart often allowed other beings aligned with the light to sense his sincerity. By association with Mickey, the king's _allies_ earned Luke's trust as well. "Yeah, I'm Luke Skywalker." Luke told the mouse king. "How did you know my name?"

"We met some of your friends." Riku answered, striding beside Mickey. "Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO."

"You met Han and Leia?" Luke repeated, mouth agape. "How are they? Did they get out all right?"

"Not yet." Riku answered. "But they're working on it." Instantly returning to the matter at hand, he added, "Now how do you know Master Yoda?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't—not really. I saw a vision of my old mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. _He _told me to come here so I could finish my training. I want to be a great Jedi, like my father was."

"Gawrsh, you must mean Anakin!" Goofy exclaimed cheerfully. "I _knew_ he'd be a good Jedi!"

Luke's eyes grew wide. 'You knew my father?"

King Mickey nodded. "For a little while. But he was just a little fella when we saw him last time. I guess time really _does_ move faster in this galaxy."

"We met Yoda the last time we came to this galaxy, too." Riku put in. "But we thought all the Jedi were gone."

"Well," Luke sighed, "I guess there's one left. I just don't know where to _find_ him." he looked around, and a wistful gleam appeared in his eyes. "But there's something _familiar_ about this place. I don't know. I feel like—"

"Feel like what?"

Luke and his five newfound friends whipped around simultaneously, weapons drawn, prepared to confront the owner of the small, croaking voice. "Like we're being _watched_!" Luke finished, a determined look upon his face. Obviously, by the reactions of the five others, the creature before him had not come with them.

The creature was green, and very small (in fact, it was exactly on eye level with King Mickey). Its long, pointed ears protruded from the sides of its head, and its skin was wrinkled with what appeared to be age. The creature was dressed in old, tattered robes that had once been a creamy brown, but were now soiled by the dirt and muck of Dagobah. It clutched a short gimer stick in its right hand, which it held up defensively. The creature was currently perched on a nearby tree stump.

The little green creature threw its arms over its face. "Away put your weapons! I mean you no harm!"

Luke and the others complied. The creature seemed harmless. Besides, the creature was somehow _familiar_ to Mickey and Riku. Its voice and speech pattern rang a bell, but as the creature was currently cloaked in shadow, they could not yet identify the little green alien.

"I am wondering," the creature murmured fearfully, "why are you here?"

"We're looking for someone." Luke answered cautiously, still not knowing what to expect.

"Looking?" the creature repeated. "_Found_ someone you have, I would say, hmm?"

Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and even Taran had to stifle their laughter. "That's true!" Goofy hyucked.

"Help you I can. Yes, _mmmm_." the creature offered.

Luke was quick to decline. "I don't think so. We're looking for a great warrior."

"Ah! A great warrior." the creature mused as it eased itself to the ground. "Wars not make one great."

The creature hobbled over to Luke's box of provisions, leaning on its gimer stick for support. As it passed the fusion furnace illuminating the camp, two of the six people gathered there suddenly snapped to attention. Mickey and Riku _recognized_ this creature: those ears, those eyes, that voice…

The creature was indeed Jedi Grand Master Yoda.

As Yoda passed the fusion furnace, for a split second, his facial features changed into a look of stern command. The two Keyblade Masters instantly understood. For whatever reason, Yoda did not yet want to be recognized… at least not by Luke. With a quick glance to each other, Mickey and Riku silently vowed not to do anything that might reveal Yoda's identity.

As quickly as it had appeared, Yoda's stern expression was gone, reverted to one of gentle, almost childlike curiosity. He reached for a half-eaten nutrition bar that sat atop the provision box and quickly took a nibble. "Put that down!" Luke snapped, snatching the bar from Yoda's hand. "That's my dinner!"

Yoda looked disgusted. "How you get so big, eating food of this kind?" he questioned. With this, Yoda set his gimer stick aside and began rummaging through the provision box as a small boy might rummage through a toy box. Luke shouted at Yoda, but his efforts were fruitless; now, the little green alien was tossing things carelessly over his shoulder. "No!" he cried after examining one of the items that did not particularly interest him.

Taran looked up at Riku confusedly. "Master, shouldn't we try to help?" he asked.

Riku shook his head with a smirk on his face. "Are you kidding? This is funny stuff!"

"Don't do that!" Luke shouted at Yoda as more and more provisions were tossed aside. "Oh, you're making a mess!"

"Oh!" Yoda cried with satisfaction as he removed a tiny flashlight from the box. He chuckled to himself as he waved the light around in front of his face, seemingly delighted with the trinket.

Luke was the only one who did not have to force down laughter at this display. "Hey, give me that!" Luke snapped.

"Mine!" Yoda countered, clutching the flashlight more tightly. "Or I will help you not!"

"We don't need your kind of help!" Donald quacked. Donald had never been formally introduced to Yoda, and Mickey had failed to describe the Jedi Grand Master in his account of the previous excursion to this galaxy. Donald, Goofy, and Taran were all as annoyed and confused about Yoda as Luke was.

"I want my lamp back." Luke told Yoda. "I need it to get out of this slimy mudhole."

Yoda suddenly shot Luke a surprised glance. "_Mudhole_? _Slimy_? My _home_ this is!"

While Yoda continued to watch Luke with astonishment, Donald suddenly approached the Jedi Grand Master. "Gimme that!" Donald quacked, grabbing the flashlight.

Yoda's grip on the flashlight remained tight. He and Donald fought over it in a desperate game of tug of war, neither one giving ground. At last, Yoda used his free hand to reach for his gimer stick. He whacked Donald on the head with the stick, shouting, "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

"Hey!" Donald shouted indignantly, still not letting go of the flashlight. "Cut that out! What's the big idea? _Hey_!"

Everyone but Luke (and, of course, Donald) shared a good laugh at this turn of events. Luke only rolled his eyes and sighed, "Oh, Donald, let him have it."

Donald released the flashlight and massaged his head, grumbling under his breath as he stomped off toward where his friends were standing.

Once the laughter at Donald's expense had died down, Goofy leaned close to the creature. "I guess you better get movin', little guy. We got some work to do—and just between us, I think Donald's still upset."

"_No_! No, _no_!" Yoda argued. "Stay and help you I will." With a soft, innocent chuckle, he added, "Find your friend!"

"We're not looking for a friend," Luke explained, "we're looking for a Jedi Master."

"_Oh_." Yoda's long ears perked up at this statement. "_Jedi Master_. Yoda. You seek _Yoda_!"

Now it was Luke's turn to look surprised. He bent down almost to eye level with Yoda and asked, "You know him?"

Yoda nodded. "Mmm. Take you to him, I will." His soft laughter again filled everyone's ears. "Yes, yes. But now we must eat. Come! Good food! Come!"

With this, Yoda began hobbling into the swamps of Dagobah. Luke cast a wary glance at King Mickey. The mouse king only returned it with a shrug, still cautious about revealing Yoda's identity. "We better follow him." he told Luke. "He says he knows Yoda."

Luke heaved a sigh and turned to the cylindrical droid that had sat unmoving since the five companions had arrived on Dagobah. "Artoo," Luke told the droid, "stay and watch after the camp."

Without another word, Luke led his five new companions into the marshes to follow Yoda. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Taran all looked at each other warily. Had Luke just called that droid "_Artoo_"? As in, _R2-D2_? As in the little astromech droid who had befriended Mickey and company on the previous journey to this galaxy?

It seemed like all their old friends were popping up now, Mickey thought as he followed Luke and Yoda deeper into the swamp. He did not know where they were bound, or why they were going there, but it promised to be interesting.

With Yoda, things usually were.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there it is. I told you it would improve! I do hope you enjoyed it.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! I don't know what happened, but between Chapters 3 and 4, we lost 40% of our RPC (reviews per chapter) count. Did four people decide to go on a coffee break or something? Why wasn't _I_ invited, may I ask? However, I must congratulate you on one detail: _Shadow of an Empire _has, in only four chapters, achieved the exact same number of reviews as my first story, _The Taste of Darkness_, which was fifteen chapters long. Thanks, guys! I knew we could do it! We have only sixty-eight reviews left to go before we reach our goal, and there are many more chapters left for me to post. Let's get cracking!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	6. Training

**A/N: Here we are, back with another chapter. I think I'm doing pretty well, as far as getting them posted quickly is concerned (knock on wood). **

**Well, here you go.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Training**

Yoda led Luke, Mickey, Riku, Taran, Donald, and Goofy to a small dwelling made of mud. R2-D2 had followed them; not a difficult task, for the ground was saturated and the group had left muddy tracks its wake. R2-D2 had followed these tracks to the house that must have belonged to Yoda, so tiny that it fit easily in the overhanging roots of a giant gnarltree. One could easily have mistaken the moss-covered house for a natural rock formation, were it not for the tiny windows and sculpted chimney. The dwelling was not much larger than R2-D2 was himself, so the little astromech droid needed only to rise to the tips of his treads in order to peer through the window and listen to the seven beings inside.

Yoda, Mickey, and Donald were the only three beings able to stand in the dwelling. Everyone else was forced to squat down, lest they bump their heads on the low mud ceiling. Yoda was cooking something in a pot that sat over a makeshift stove. Though the green Jedi Grand Master happily set about his work, Luke Skywalker was less than thrilled.

"Look," said Luke, "I'm sure it's delicious. I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda _now_."

King Mickey and Riku were both forced to hide the smiles on their faces. They _were_ in the presence of Yoda, they knew. However, since Yoda had chosen not to share his identity with anyone else, they had to keep quiet.

Yoda spoke up instead. "Patience! For the Jedi it is time to eat as well. Eat, eat! Hot!"

King Mickey moved toward Yoda's cook pot and helped himself to a bowl of the strange substance inside. He opted to taste the food for himself before passing it around; after one spoonful, however, the mouse king grimaced and passed the bowl to Luke.

Luke, however, had no interest in eating. "How far away _is_ Yoda?" he questioned. "Will it take us long to get there?"

Mickey shook his head. Luke had already proved himself to be impatient and headstrong, two traits that the Jedi did not hold in high esteem. Mickey could sense Yoda's distaste, but the old Jedi Master let none of it show as he answered, "Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him." With this, Yoda helped himself to a mouthful of food directly from the pot. "Root leaf. I cook." he said proudly. As he helped himself to more root leaf, Yoda suddenly changed the subject. "Why wish you become Jedi? Hm?"

"Mostly because of my father, I guess." Luke responded with a shrug.

"Ah, father." Yoda nodded. "Powerful Jedi was he… _mmm_, powerful Jedi, mmm."

"Oh, come on!" Luke said in disbelief. "How could you know my father? You don't even know who _I_ am. I don't even know what I'm _doing_ here; we're wasting our time!"

Yoda suddenly became grave and thoughtful, staring away from everyone in the hut. "I cannot teach him." he said, completely dropping the persona of a senile old hermit. "The boy has no patience."

Everyone (save for Mickey and Riku, of course) gasped. But before any further comment could be made, a new voice suddenly echoed throughout the mud dwelling. The voice had no visible owner, though its accent and manner of speech sounded vaguely familiar. "_He will _learn_ patience_. " the voice said.

Shocked at hearing this voice, everyone began to look around for the voice's owner, though none could be found. Yoda only sighed, turning to study Luke once more. "Much anger in him, like his father."

"_Was I any different when you taught me_?" the voice offered.

Yoda shook his head. "No. He is not ready."

Suddenly, all those in the dwelling began to study him more closely. All those who had not previously known his identity now drew breath, calling out the same name at once. "_Yoda_!"

Yoda nodded.

Luke was suddenly outraged. "I _am_ ready!" he shouted. "I—Ben! I… I can be a Jedi! Ben, tell him I'm ready!" Luke leaped to his feet, only to bonk his head on the low ceiling of Yoda's house.

"_Ready_, are you?" Yoda questioned, regarding Luke's bump with disapproval. "What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My _own _counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind!" With this, Yoda looked around the room, so as to address everyone present. "This one, a long time have I watched. All his life he has looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on _where he was_. Hmm? _What he was doing_!" For emphasis, Yoda prodded Luke with his gimer stick. "_Adventure_! Heh! _Excitement_! Heh! A Jedi craves not these things." Yoda finally lowered his gimer stick, meeting Luke's eyes with a harsh stare. "You are reckless!"

"_So was I, if you remember_." countered the disembodied voice… "Ben," as the owner of the voice was called.

King Mickey finally decided to offer his own counsel. "Ya know, lookin' to the future isn't always a _bad_ thing. I know some really great heroes that started out by just _dreaming_."

"Yeah," Goofy added with a laugh, "like Sora! He's one o' the best there is, and he was just a little feller when he started dreamin' about havin' adventures."

"He was reckless at _first_," Donald chimed in, "but he got better... at least a little"

Riku smirked and nodded in Taran's direction. "And Taran was the _definition_ of reckless. We're still working out the kinks, but for the most part, he's turning out just fine."

Taran smiled at his master. "Thank you, Master Riku… I think."

Despite all these strong arguments and examples, Yoda remained firm in his decision. "He is too old." the Jedi Grand Master argued. "Yes, too old to begin the training."

"Oh, let's not pull _that_ card again!" Riku snapped, becoming annoyed with Yoda's stubbornness. "You _always_ use that excuse not to train people! Need I remind you that I was _sixteen years old_ when I was apprenticed to King Mickey, and who _knows_ how old Mickey was when he began _his_ training! We had this same exact argument when you didn't want to train Anakin, and now we're doing it again with Luke. You said so yourself: Anakin was a powerful Jedi."

"Powerful Jedi _was_ he!" Yoda grunted. "_Was_! But no longer. And _you_… remember you well, I do. Touched by the _dark side_ you are. I sense much conflict in you… _jealousy_, I see. In no position are you to provide counsel to _me_. Hmm?"

Riku remained quiet after that. Yoda had immediately seen into Riku's heart, looking directly into the face of the darkest recesses therein.

Yoda probably knew about _Kairi_ now, too.

Luke had sat mostly quiet during this philosophical debate, completely oblivious as to what the argument was really _about_. All Luke really cared about as present was Yoda's training, so he begged of the Jedi Grand Master, "But I've learned so _much_!"

Yoda finally gave ground, heaving a heavy sigh as he did so. He inclined his head upward, as though to address the disembodied voice of Ben. "Will he finish what he begins?" he asked.

Rather than wait for Ben to answer, Luke interjected, "I won't fail you!" When Luke saw all eyes turn toward him, he added, "I'm not afraid."

"Oh," Yoda stated, his voice lowering to an almost threatening tone, "you will be. _You will be_."

That was his last word on the matter.

* * *

The _Imperial-II_ class Star Destroyer known as the _Avenger_ was now cruising along the edge of Hoth's asteroid belt, blasting any asteroids that came near it with its powerful defenses. Darth Vader had tasked the _Avenger_ with leading the search for the _Millennium Falcon_, both because the _Executor_ was a bit too big to enter the asteroid field and because Vader was "otherwise engaged" at the time. The task now fell on Captain Lorth Needa, commander of the _Avenger_, to locate the _Falcon_ and, as Darth Vader had so eloquently said, "decimate it and everyone aboard."

What Lorth Needa failed to comprehend was Vader's reasoning behind this command. The Dark Lord of the Sith could still sense Kairi's presence aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, and was still adamant in his decision not to destroy her. He had assigned this task to Captain Needa in order to avoid doing it _himself_.

Captain Needa was unaware of Vader's reasoning, however, and immediately went about his task as coldly and methodically as Imperial officers had always been trained to do. Needa's first act was to dispatch Imperial TIE bombers (which resembled TIE fighters, but with a dual-pod design in order to carry large payloads) with fighter escorts. The bombers soon came across an asteroid the size of a small moon; there, they deployed proton bombs powerful enough to leave new craters in the asteroid.

Within their sanctuary of the asteroid cave, the crew and passengers of the _Millennium Falcon_ heard the rumbling of the proton bombs as they impacted only a few hundred yards from their location. The explosions would occasionally rattle the _Falcon_, knocking the passengers (most frequently C-3PO) to the floor. All those aboard the _Falcon_ finally decided to sit down in the ship's main hold, listening to the TIE bombers as they began to pass by the cave.

As they listened, they began to talk.

Princess Leia had been the one to strike up conversation with Sora and Kairi. She asked about the couple's previous visit to this galaxy, and about what their own galaxy was like.

Thus, the explanations began.

Sora and Kairi first told of their own universe, briefly describing the world whence they came and their status as king and queen. Once this was done, they moved on to explaining the nature of the keyblade, and of the Keybearers. The concepts of magic and the heart were lost on the crew of the _Millennium Falcon_, so this task proved to be difficult (it was Sora who eventually came up with the succinct summary of: "I'm like a Jedi, only… _not_."). Then, once the background information was out of the way, it was time to talk about the Battle of Naboo.

Sora was, as always, very reluctant to speak of his role in the battle, but he was finally persuaded to give his account. He and Kairi detailed the events that led to Sora's fall to the dark side, and how this new development had led them to this galaxy (they did _not_, however, talk about how Sora escaped from Hollow Bastion; that memory was far too painful). They talked of their experiences on Tatooine, including meeting Anakin and watching him win the Mos Espa Podrace. They then told of the Battle of Naboo, when the citizens of Naboo had defeated the Trade Federation and, on a more personal level, when Sora and Obi-Wan Kenobi defeated Darth Maul, another Lord of the Sith.

Once this account was finished, the crew of the _Millennium Falcon_ could only stare wide-eyed at them. "But…" Leia stammered, "The Battle of Naboo happened _thirty-five years_ ago!"

"And I most certainly don't remember meeting you, Miss Kairi." C-3PO added, still puzzled by her account of Tatooine. "Or that King Mickey fellow, either." C-3PO then leaned close to Leia and said, "If you want my advice, Princess Leia, we should take these two to the nearest mental institution and leave them there as soon as possible."

"Sounded like they were telling the truth to me." Han Solo interjected with a shrug.

"Well," C-3PO replied, still sounding muddled, "if they _are_ telling the truth, then time in their galaxy must progress at a rate of approximately 11.5 times slower than that in ours."

Sora and Kairi looked at each other in awe. "Wow." Kairi murmured. "We missed out on a lot."

"Thirty-five years." Sora nodded. "That's a long time."

No one had anything to add to this statement, and for a time, silence descended on the _Millennium Falcon_. The TIE bombers had moved on, and with them went the rumbling of explosions and the crashing of proton bombs. Space was as cold and quiet as it had ever been, and in the quiet, the drawing of each breath was as loud as the whooshing of wind in a calamitous gale.

Wordlessly, everyone agreed to go about their own business, at least for the moment. Han Solo and Chewbacca set about trying to repair the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive; C-3PO went with them to offer the use of his knowledge, which, as he had said himself, was "quite expanded, and will certainly be of use to you."

Han looked less than thrilled to have the protocol droid along.

Princess Leia wandered into the cockpit of the ship, though her reason for doing so was far beyond the understanding of the other passengers. Sora and Kairi, meanwhile, had opted to remain in the main hold. They sat upon a bench that ran along the wall of the main hold, keeping well out of Han and Chewbacca's way (unlike C-3PO, whose constant doting was agitating Han more and more with each passing second). Sora and Kairi would occasionally watch the three as they worked, but mostly, they had opted to take this opportunity to talk between themselves without fear of eavesdroppers.

Sora and Kairi had just gotten into a meaningful discussion about potential names for their child when Leia suddenly burst into the main hold, her face white as a sheet. "There's something out there." she exclaimed with anxiety that seemed a bit out of place coming from the dignified princess.

Sora and Kairi shot wary looks at each other, but it was Han Solo who first looked at Leia. He was wearing welding goggles, which looked comical enough to warrant a small chortle from Sora; Han lifted these goggles as he asked, "Where?"

"Outside, in the cave." Leia answered, still sounding quite shaken.

Before anyone even had the opportunity to think about what could be inside the cave, there came a loud banging on the hull of the _Millennium Falcon_. "There it is!" C-3PO cried. "Listen! Listen!"

Immediately following this outcry was yet another loud banging, which merited a nervous bark from Chewbacca.

Han Solo donned a look of determination as he approached a wall-mounted rack of supplies. "I'm going out there."

"Are you crazy?" Leia demanded, almost indignantly.

"I just got this bucket back together." Han retorted, removing a breath mask from the rack—Sora noted that it looked rather similar to the ones worn by Kairi, Donald, and Goofy when they had first entered the _Millennium Falcon_. "I'm not gonna let something tear it apart."

Han tossed another breath mask to Chewbacca, then cast Sora a questioning glance. "You coming or not?"

Sora was up in a flash, and in another instant, a breath mask was firmly secured to his face. "Let's go." he said with resolve that mirrored Han Solo's.

"Shouldn't we go with you?" Kairi asked, standing beside Princess Leia.

"Can't." Han replied. "Not enough masks up here."

"Besides," Sora added, flashing his queen a loving smile from beneath his mask, "it's probably nothing. We'll be back before you know it."

"I think it might be better," C-3PO put in, "if I stay here and guard the ship—as well as the two ladies."

Before a response could be issued, another bang resounded throughout the ship. "Oh no." C-3PO muttered anxiously.

Without another word, Sora activated the _Falcon_'s landing ramp before summoning the Oathkeeper to his hands. Han grabbed a blaster pistol from the supply rack, and Chewbacca took a bowcaster (something resembling a medieval crossbow, though armed with blaster bolts in place of arrows). The threesome descended the landing ramp together, not knowing what to expect.

The cave was still filled with a swirling mist, and the air was still thick with moisture. These things were observed by the trio, as was the unusual texture of the cave floor. Still, the cave was quiet. The banging on the hull seemed to have ceased. "Well," Han decided, "maybe it was a false alarm."

Suddenly, Chewbacca let out an alarmed bark. Sora and Han whipped about in an instant, but Sora's reflexes were a second faster than Han's trigger finger. Before Han had time to fire his blaster pistol, a Blizzaga spell had already launched a shard of ice from Sora's keyblade. The frozen missile collided with something, impaling it and sending it crashing to the ground.

The three companions examined the object that Sora had impaled with ice. They discovered that it was not an _object_ at all, but rather a _creature_—a meter in length and rather resembling a large bat.

Han snorted. "Yeah. What I thought. Mynock." To Chewbacca, he added, "Chewie, check the rest of the ship; make sure there are no more attached. They're chewing on the power cables."

"Mynock?" Sora repeated, a bit confused. "Are they dangerous?"

"If you're a ship." Han told him. "Come on. Let's sweep the rest of the place."

Sora was only able to take two steps before a swarm of mynocks suddenly swooped past him. With a deft flick of the keyblade, several of those mynocks found themselves without heads, and their corpses fell to the cave floor. Still more mynocks charged at Chewbacca, who fired his bowcaster at the flying parasites. The blaster bolt missed the mynocks entirely, instead blasting into the cave wall.

There was a loud rumble throughout the entire cave, and the mynocks soon scattered with apparent fright. Sora raised a brow in confusion. _What's going on here?_ he asked himself. He pointed his keyblade downward and thrust it into the cave floor, which was much easier to perforate than expected. As Sora drew his keyblade from the cave floor, the rumbling got worse.

Much worse.

For a moment, the three companions were frozen with shock and confusion. They returned to their senses when the entire cave seemed to lurch to the side, nearly flinging the trio from their feet. As the cave continued to rock and to buck, Sora was vaguely reminded of his time sailing aboard the _Black Pearl_ in Port Royal. He was even getting a little seasick as he followed Han and Chewbacca up the landing ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_.

Upon reaching the ship's main hold, all three companions quickly tore off their breath masks. "Pull 'er up, Chewie!" Han ordered his fuzzy friend. "Let's get out of here!"

Sora quickly rushed over to Kairi, who was still seated on the bench in the main hold. "Sora," Kairi asked with a bewildered expression, "what's going on out there?"

"No idea." Sora admitted. "But we're leaving. _Now_."

Han, Leia, and C-3PO stayed in the main hold of the ship. Han immediately set about checking the _Falcon_'s scopes, but Leia was still unsure. "The Empire is still out there." she pointed out. "I don't think it's wise to—"

"No time to discuss this in a committee." Han cut her off, making a mad dash for the cockpit.

Leia soon gave chase. "I am _not_ a _committee_!" she protested as the _Falcon_'s engines began to whine. A very flustered C-3PO could only follow in Leia's wake.

Sora and Kairi shrugged and made their way to the cockpit. "Those two have issues to work out." Kairi told Sora in a low voice.

"Yeah." Sora agreed with a laugh. "_Big_ issues."

Their laughter was cut short as another rumbling jolted the ship. Sora crashed into the side of the narrow corridor that led to the cockpit, and Kairi was thrown into him immediately after. "On second thought," Sora decided, snaking his arms around Kairi and pinning her firmly against his body, "maybe we should just stay here—y'know, until we get out into open space again. We don't want you fall or anything."

"No." Kairi agreed, flashing her husband a knowing smile. "We don't want that at all."

Suddenly, the rumbling of the _Millennium Falcon_ began to die down as the ship took off. Sora and Kairi were still reluctant to move apart, but they did so in an instant when they heard C-3PO shout, "Look!"

"I see it, I see it." they heard Han retort.

Sora and Kairi exchanged worried looks. "That can't be good." Sora observed. He led Kairi into the cockpit of the _Falcon_, and what they saw astonished them.

The _Falcon_ was approaching the entrance of the cave, which was lined by stalagmites and stalactites that were unusually white in color. These were the same rock formations that King Mickey had noticed earlier, but now, the cave's entrance seemed to be slowly closing in. Soon, the _Falcon_ would be trapped.

"We're doomed!" C-3PO wailed. Had the situation been different, Kairi might have rolled her eyes. Ever since she'd first met him three—no, she reminded herself, _thirty-five_—years ago, she had known that the protocol droid had not been programmed for optimism. Still, in this dire situation, she was inclined to agree with C-3PO. So instead of rolling her eyes, Kairi let out a shout. "The cave's collapsing!"

Han Solo appeared to be studying the cave entrance, even as he piloted the _Millennium Falcon_ ever faster toward the rapidly diminishing exit. At length, he stated, "This is no cave."

And it wasn't.

Indeed, the _Millennium Falcon_ had found itself in the gullet of an exogorth, a massive silicon-based space slug that could grow up to nine hundred meters in length. This explained the mynocks that the crew of the _Falcon_ had encountered—the mynock was considered a delicacy by the exogorth, and the creature was known to swallow dozens of them at a time. Mynocks could live for _weeks_ inside the exogorth's stomach before finally being digested.

Thus, as Han Solo had just realized, the exogorth was now trying to make a meal of the _Millennium Falcon_.

Chewbacca let out a howl as the _Millennium Falcon_ tipped on its side in order to pass, just barely, between the rapidly closing jaws of the exogorth. However, the space slug was not yet finished. The exogorth's head emerged from its hiding place and lunged at the _Falcon_ for another bite. Thankfully, the slug was too slow to catch the _Millennium Falcon_, and it could only retreat into the sanctity of its lair to await the next meal to come willingly into its jaws.

Everyone aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ breathed a sigh of relief. They were free of the exogorth's gullet. However, this relief was quickly replaced by a feeling of cold dread as they realized another fact: They were free of the exogorth, but they now risked flying into the clutches of the Empire itself.

Compared to the Empire, the exogorth's stomach seemed like a nice place to be.

* * *

On the planet Dagobah, explanations had also taken place. Mickey, Riku, Donald, and Goofy told the story of their participation in the Battle of Naboo and had tried (but, like Sora and Kairi, had failed) to explain the concepts of magic and the heart to the beings native to the galaxy. Luke had been utterly lost, while Yoda looked upon the ideals of the Keybearers with what appeared to be a gruff disapproval. The little green creature was of a _very_ Jedi-centric mindset, and would almost immediately dismiss other philosophies as invalid. Despite this, however, Yoda had to respect the wisdom of the Keybearers (particularly King Mickey), and had agreed to let them use Dagobah as a base of operations, which also prompted the explanation that the disembodied voice of "Ben" was actually Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had achieved the ability to retain his will even after death. "But interfere with Skywalker's training, you must not." Yoda had warned the Keybearers. "A _Jedi_ he is to become—no more, no less."

So it was that Luke Skywalker found himself running through the marshes of Dagobah, with Yoda snugly secured in a pack on his back. This was supposed to be some sort of obstacle course, and Luke's other friends were awaiting his arrival at the finish line.

"Run!" Yoda instructed his new pupil. "Yes! A Jedi's strength flows through the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger… fear… aggression... the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

Yoda was talking, of course, about Darth Vader.

At last, Luke reached the checkpoint where his friends were waiting. Rather than speak to them, however, Luke continued to question Yoda. "_Is_ the dark side stronger?"

"No." said both Yoda and Mickey at once. Mickey, recollecting that he was not to interfere with Luke's training, quickly clapped his hand over his mouth and allowed Yoda to continue.

"No, no." Yoda went on. "Quicker, easier, more seductive."

From his place next to King Mickey, Riku gave a nigh untraceable nod. _Don't I know it_, he thought.

Luke was still insecure. "But how am I supposed to know the good side from the bad?"

_Good question,_ Riku thought with a slight pang, _and one that I'm _still_ not entirely sure of_.

"You will know," Yoda assured Luke. "when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

This didn't satisfy Luke at all. "But tell me why I can't—"

"No, no, there is no _why_." Yoda rebuked him. "Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions."

Yoda grunted once or twice as Luke lowered him to the ground. As Yoda relocated to a nearby tree root, Luke walked over to where he'd placed his shirt and weapon belt (which he had removed for the training exercise).

As Luke went about this mundane task, Riku allowed his mind to wander a bit. Yoda's explanation of dividing the good side from the bad had been _more_ than useless to him, and it still did not solve his problem. As he pondered, however, Riku realized that he did not seek the answer to this riddle for its own sake; deep down, he was still unsure of what to do about Kai—

_What in the worlds is that smell?_

Riku took a deep, long sniff, trying to get a feel for the scent he had just picked up. It was not the smell of moss or fungus, or the stench of the damp marsh surrounding him. While he could smell all these things with a bit _too_ much clarity, this new scent was even fouler…

_Darker_.

Riku focused all his attention on the scent, eventually tracing it to a nearby tree. The tree was black in color, monstrous and dead. The trunk of the tree was surrounded by a pool of murky water; its gnarled, twisted roots formed the mouth of what appeared to be some sort of cave. This cave was sinister and foreboding in nature, and it reeked of darkness that nearly matched that which the Black Cauldron had exuded before it had lost its power. Riku was getting something of a headache from this dark scent, but he still stood defiant against the cave's mouth.

Luke must have felt the darkness too. "There's something not right here." he said cautiously, warily eyeing the cave. "I feel cold…_ death_."

"We _all _feel it." King Mickey said in a hushed whisper. "There's lots o' darkness in there."

"That place," Yoda declared from his seat, "is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

Luke looked shocked at the very idea. Finally, with a deep breath, he began to strap on his weapon belt.

Yoda tried to stop him. "Your weapons… you will not need them."

Luke looked to his weapon belt, then back to the tree. Yoda _had_ to be off his rocker this time. To not bring weapons into such a dark, foreboding place would surely be the end of him. Luke was sure to fasten his belt very securely around his waist before setting off into the cave.

Yoda, King Mickey, and all the others waited patiently for Luke to return. Of them all, Taran was the first to speak. "What _truly_ lies in the cave?" he questioned. "I know there must be _something_."

"Darkness, the cave contains." Yoda explained. "Pain… suffering… _death_. A wound in the Force, this place has become—a nexus of the dark side."

"You sent Luke in there to face his own darkness." Riku surmised. "That's a little harsh, doing it to someone who's only been training for a little while."

"Face his darkness, Luke must." Yoda told Riku with a firm stare. "Or a Jedi he will never become."

Suddenly, Yoda paused. King Mickey and Riku did too, though Taran of Caer Dallben was still unsure of the reason. He could sense… _something_, but his perceptions were not as refined as the others'. Still, he could feel that something in the cave had just gotten a little darker.

Luke Skywalker emerged from the cave a moment later, looking quite shaken. And, as everyone there could now sense, he indeed carried a small scent of darkness with him. Yoda stared at the ground and slowly shook his head. As Luke began the weary trek back to Yoda's hut, the Jedi Grand Master heaved a heavy sigh. "Failed, he has."

"I told you." Riku snorted. "It's too much for somebody so inexperienced. Heck, _I_ would probably fail if _I_ went in there."

"Gawrsh, don't do that!" Goofy suddenly exclaimed, speaking up for the first time since Luke's arrival at the cave.

"Who knows what it would do to your heart?" Donald added, breaking his own atypical silence.

Riku looked toward the cave. His headache was beginning to worsen, and he could now hear a voice, seemingly coming from the mouth of the dark cave. _Riku…_ it beckoned. _Come to me, Riku. Embrace the darkness once again._

Riku didn't have to wonder who owned the voice, nor did he have to think very hard before realizing that he was the only one who could hear it. He knew the voice and its owner all too well:

_Xehanort_.

Riku's headache somewhat lessened as King Mickey strode up beside him, the mouse king's powerful aura of light able to at least neutralize the darkness. "Go on, Riku, if that's what you want." Mickey said. With a smile, he added, "We'll be right here waitin' for ya."

Riku nodded. "I have to face my darkness again, just like I did in Castle Oblivion. If I don't…" Riku cut himself off. He did not trust himself to say any more, though the rest of the sentence was still swirling around inside his head.

_If I don't, I'll never be able to face Sora or Kairi again_.

Mickey seemed to understand. "Go on." he prompted, his voice still full of good cheer, despite the darkness that seemed to close in all about him and his friends.

Without another word to anyone, Riku hardened his heart toward the encroaching darkness and stepped into the cave.

It was dark and musty there, inside that cave that reeked of the dark. The stench of rot and decay was as strong to Riku's nose as the scent of darkness was to his heart, but he was still forced to press on. A path was barely visible in the dim light and swirling mist, and Riku followed it. Deeper and deeper into the cave he went, his headache gradually evolving into what threatened to be the most insufferable migraine the worlds had ever seen. It was as though the cave were somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, the darkness pressing around Riku's head and body like the pressure of a hundred tons of sea water. Still, Riku went on despite the steady crushing of the dark, trudging forth with a dogged force of will that exceeded all hopes of dissuasion.

Whatever was in here, Riku was determined to face it.

Riku went on and on, footstep after burdened footstep, until it seemed that his head and heart would both burst. He paused for a moment to try to catch his breath, placing his hand on the cave wall for support.

"_Riku…_"

Riku shot bolt upright, the way to Dawn appearing in his hand a scant millisecond later. But then he remembered what Yoda had said: he would not need weapons here. With a deep breath, Riku summoned all his resolve and dismissed his keyblade.

"What is this, Riku? You dare to face me without a weapon? Why, I'm almost _hurt_."

Riku's glare hardened, his pure hatred for the being before him now numbing him to the pain of his head and his heart. "_Xehanort_," the silver-haired Keyblade Master spat, "what do you want with me?"

A moment later, in a flash of dark energy (rather the opposite of a flash—as though all the light was suddenly drained from the spot, only to be replaced a moment later), the foreboding form of Xehanort suddenly appeared before Riku. The man's—the _Heartless's_—arms were crossed, and he wore a sinister smirk upon his countenance. "What do _I_ want with _you_?" Xehanort repeated with the slightest trace of wicked laughter in his voice. "It is _you_ who sought _me_, as you have always sought me."

"Get out of my heart!" Riku snapped.

Xehanort merely let out a chuckle, as though amused by Riku's outburst. "Impossible." he scoffed. "You have bound yourself far too tightly to me over the years. I could no more escape you than you can escape the darkness."

"The darkness has no power over me!" Riku shot back, his voice rising a little higher than he'd intended.

Xehanort's smirk grew larger. "No power over you? Riku, the darkness has so blinded you that you can no longer see your own _chains_, tethering you to the dark.. to _me_."

Riku opened his mouth to argue, but Xehanort cut him off. "Don't try to fool yourself, Riku. You know that what I say is true. Even now I can feel your anger building. I have been locked in your heart for so long... did you honestly think you could hide _any_ of your feelings from me? For years, I have been steeped in your own dark emotions: anger, fear, guilt… _jealousy_."

Riku shut his eyes and his hands flew to his temples. The very word made his head throb even more violently. "Sh-shut up!" Riku grunted, the pain preventing him from thinking of anything more coherent to say.

But Xehanort did not shut up. "_Yes_, Riku. I know all about your _little secret_. I know that your heart still festers and boils with your envy, your underlying jealousy of your friend Sora. It is understandable. He took from you what had always been yours, and you want it back. You want _her_ back."

Riku dropped to his knees, writhing in agony. His heart pounded inside his chest, and with each passing moment, it seemed to get closer to bursting through his chest and flying straight at Xehanort. "Kairi…" Riku muttered between desperate gasps for air. "Kairi was _never_ mine. Her heart… belongs to… _Sora_. It always has."

"So you have told yourself." Xehanort scoffed. "Think _back_, Riku. Who was it that was always there for her? Who was it that was always there to _provide_ for her? Whose idea was it to build that little raft, to take her to visit her _home_ in Radiant Garden, even before you knew that it existed? It certainly wasn't _Sora_; _he _was always lounging on the beach. Look inside your heart, Riku, and you will know it to be true: _Kairi loved you once_."

Riku was in too much pain to argue now. His skull felt like it was slowly imploding, and his heart was still struggling desperately to escape the confines of his rib cage. Right now, Riku would prefer to be locked in a room with the Black Cauldron itself rather than stay here and face the venomous words of the self-proclaimed "Seeker of Darkness." Riku could not trust himself to look inside his heart as Xehanort had suggested, because he knew that Xehanort was still in control of a good portion of that heart. In the end, Riku could do nothing but howl in physical and emotional agony, until at last the anguish overwhelmed him.

For the first time in his life, Riku—the unconquerable, strong-willed, _heroic_ Riku—passed out.

Xehanort looked down upon Riku with a slight frown. It seemed that Riku's heart had lasted longer than his body. _What to do now?_ thought the Seeker of Darkness. _He is of no use in this state_.

Before Xehanort could even _consider_ a new strategy, however, he heard a familiar falsetto voice cry out. "Hold it right there, Xehanort!"

King Mickey now stood over Riku's unconscious body, a look of fierce determination dominating his features. "This has gone far enough!"

Xehanort glared hard at Mickey. "You meddlesome king!" he bellowed. "What will it take for me to get _rid _of you?"

"A lot more than _you'll_ ever have." King Mickey shot back. "Now why don't you just go away? You _know_ you can't beat me—not even here."

Xehanort's frown twisted into a wry grin. "Very well, _Your Majesty_. I'll leave… but know this: One day, Riku will betray you. He will spawn the greatest darkness the worlds have ever seen, and you won't even realize it until it's already far too late."

"Get_ out_, Xehanort." Mickey commanded, and though there was a definite squeak to his voice as he did so, he still sounded as commanding and as _powerful_ as ever.

"Goodbye, _Your Majesty_." Xehanort retorted, slowly fading back into the dark recesses of Riku's heart. "For now."

As soon as he was sure that Xehanort was indeed gone, King Mickey quickly waved his hand over Riku, casting a powerful Curaja spell upon him. Riku's eyes opened a second later, and after a minute, he found that he was able to stand. He placed a hand to his head. "Oh, my _head_." he grunted. Upon seeing Mickey, Riku leaped to his feet. "Your Majesty! What happened?"

"I'll explain later, Riku." Mickey replied, his expression becoming grave. "Right now, I think we need to talk."

* * *

**A/N: SUSPENSE! Okay, not really. Maybe. It depends on who you are.**

**Okay, first off, I'd like to address the scene of Riku's inward reflection and subsequent coflict with Xehanort. Personally, I thought the idea of Riku going into the cave was a good one; however, there are those of you in the audience who may feel that the scene was uncalled for, that we don't need any more senseless delving into Riku's messed up love life. However, there _is_ a reason for all this. Case in point: Xehanort's parting words to Mickey. Ponder on that for a little while.**

**With that out of the way, I'd like to call attention to my profile page again. I've edited the summary for **_Kingdom Hearts: The Castle of Llyr_**. Why? Becauese I just thought of a whole new sub-plot to put in that story. What is it? You'll find out when you get there.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: Please review! You guys really came out of the woodworks last time, leaving (I think) a proud nine reviews in total. I know some of you hate to read my rants about why you should review all the time, but you have no idea how helpful these reviews are to me. The more I get, the faster I try to update, because I know that more people are waiting for me to do so.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off. (You know, I think I need a new tagline. How about, "To infinity and beyond"? Wait... that one's taken. Sorry!)**


	7. Conflicted Philosophy

**A/N: Guess what, guys? I'm not dead! I apologize for not updating much sooner, but I'm behind on a lot of things lately. Hopefully, this chapter will make up for it. It gets a bit technical at the beginning, but bear with me.**

**Ready, set, read!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Conflicted Philosophy**

Darth Vader stood on the bridge of his hulking flagship, the _Executor_, looking over the hodgepodge of six diverse creatures standing before him. Each and all had permission form Vader himself to be aboard the Super Star Destroyer, but none were welcomed warmly by the ship's crew. "Bounty hunters." muttered Admiral Firmus Piett to two of his fellow crewmembers. "We don't need their scum."

"Yes, sir." one of the crewmembers agreed automatically.

"Those rebels won't escape us." Piett added, though whether it was to himself or to the crewmember he was not entirely sure.

Piett turned again to face the odd assortment of creatures that stood together on the _Executor_'s bridge. They were quite a sight, gruff and battle-hardened as they were by their years of experience in their field. Even in the presence of Darth Vader, the bounty hunters did not flinch. The Empire had files on each of the bounty hunters, and Piett mentally reviewed this information as he looked over the creatures.

The first bounty hunter was IG-88. IG-88 had originally been programmed to be an assassin droid, but his creators had made a fatal flaw in his design: they had programmed such autonomy and such capacity for thought into the droid that IG-88 had achieved what only a few droids had done before. He had achieved _sentience_. Unbeknownst to even the Empire, however, IG-88 had downloaded this programming into three identical replicas of itself. The IG-88 now aboard the _Executor_ was IG-88B, the most experienced bounty hunter among his counterparts. IG-88B had a reputation for always completing his mission with precision and expedience that one would expect from a droid, but with competence and ingenuity often only found in organic beings.

The second bounty hunter was called Dengar. Dengar was a cybernetically enhanced human, equipped with a blaster rifle and blaster pistol sidearm, as well as a wide array of explosives. His body was protected by modified versions of Imperial Stormtrooper armor, and his head was covered with thick facial wrappings that left only his face visible. Dengar's true power, however, lay in his _mind_. The Empire had ruthlessly experimented on Dengar, undergoing a procedure that removed all of Dengar's emotions, save for three: rage, hope, and, accidentally, loneliness. His inability to feel guilt or remorse made him a cold and efficient killer, a powerful tool of destruction.

Next came the bounty hunter Bossk, Trandoshan in species. Trandoshans were humanoid reptilian creatures, covered in thick scales as strong as any armor. Bossk wore a yellow spacesuit that was obviously too small for him, perhaps having once belonged to a human. Bossk was an aggressive and skilled bounty hunter, notorious for his pleasure in hunting and skinning Wookiees for their pelts. Wookiee hunting was considered suicidal by most, but Bossk had been making sport of it for many years. Bossk had agreed to join the other bounty hunters aboard the _Executor_ for exactly one reason: the opportunity to win the pelt of Chewbacca, one of the most slippery Wookiees of all.

The next two bounty hunters were Zuckuss and 4-LOM, two comrades that scarcely went on missions separately anymore. Zuckuss was a Gand, an insectoid creature that breathed ammonia rather than oxygen. To survive in oxygen-rich environments, Zuckuss wore an ammonia-filled respirator over his face. Zuckuss's body was draped in a heavy cloak, under which was hidden an even heavier set of battle armor. Zuckuss was known as "The Uncanny One" by other bounty hunters due to an innate connection to the Force. This connection allowed Zuckuss to sense the presences of individuals and their motives (his "intuition," he called it). This, combined with Zuckuss's more contemplative and tactical nature, made him a very efficient killer.

4-LOM was different. He was a protocol droid—much like C-3PO, though his head resembled that of a Gand—with a flaw in his system that drove him to constantly override and update his own programming. As a droid, 4-LOM was practical to a fault, often arguing against Zuckuss's intuitive tracking skills. However, the droid could not argue with the Gand's success, and partnered with Zuckuss in order to learn the secret of intuition for himself. 4-LOM also demonstrated a certain sense of compassion rarely found in machines. He had bonded very closely to Zuckuss over the years, and even considered the Gand to be his best friend.

The sixth bounty hunter aboard the _Executor_, however, was in a class of his own.

Not much was known about the mysterious Boba Fett, save for his reputation as the greatest bounty hunter to ever live. No part of his body was visible beneath his helmet and armor, which had been crafted by the great race of warriors called the Mandalorians. Fett's armor was equipped with innumerable weapons and additional features, but the seasoned bounty hunter was familiar and proficient with each. Boba Fett was the only person in the room who might have stood on equal ground with Darth Vader in terms of the intimidating presence and ruthless reputation.

Boba had a _flawless_ record for getting the job done, and many Imperials believed that he would be the one to bring in the _Millennium Falcon_ and its passengers. Boba had a personal vendetta against Solo, who had managed to escape three bounty hunters that Fett had subcontracted. Now, Fett was determined to get the job done _right_, by doing it _himself_.

Piett highly disapproved of using bounty hunters to find the _Millennium Falcon_, but knew he could not say so. These hunters were hand-picked by Lord Vader himself, and those who defied Vader's orders lived only long enough to regret it. As one of Vader's higher officers, many people considered Piett's days to be numbered anyway, and the recently promoted admiral had no desire to join his predecessor in death.

All this information cycled through Piett's mind in an instant, and no sooner had it done so than Piett heard the voice of a crewmember of the _Executor_. "Sir, we have a priority signal from the Star Destroyer _Avenger_."

Piett forced himself to look away from the bounty hunters. "Right." said the Admiral before following the crewmember to a computer console not far away.

As Piett tended to the transmission from the _Avenger_, Darth Vader addressed the bounty hunters. "There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the _Millennium Falcon_. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive." Darth Vader pointed a black-gloved finger specifically at Boba Fett and added, "_No_ disintegrations."

Boba Fett did not move. "As you wish." he replied coldly. Of course, Boba had every intention of taking the _Millennium Falcon_'s passengers alive. He was already working on a contract for the Tatooine crime lord Jabba the Hutt, who wanted Han Solo to be delivered to him unspoiled. If Boba could pull this off, he would receive bounties from both the Empire _and_ from Jabba.

Darth Vader was distracted from the bounty hunters as Admiral Piett practically came running up to him, calling his name as a child does when showing his parents a new gift. "Lord Vader!" Piett cried as he strode beside the Dark Lord of the Sith. "My lord, we have them!"

* * *

Riku and King Mickey sat alone on a large tree root that jutted forth from the marshy ground of Dagobah, forming a natural bench only a scant few yards from the dreaded cave. Riku could still feel the presence of darkness in that cave interacting with the darkness in his own heart, but King Mickey's powerful aura of light managed to negate most of the cave's effects. The rest of the companions had gone back to Yoda's hut, and Mickey was quiet as a mouse (which he was) as he waited for Riku to speak. In the distance, the croaking of a thousand alien swamp creatures could be heard all around.

Riku stared at the ground. He could not bear to look at the diminutive lord of Disney Castle, who was watching him with a concerned and attentive face. There was so much Riku wanted to say, but he had no idea where to begin… or even if it was a good idea to tell Mickey at all.

At last, he took a deep breath. "How much did you hear?"

"Huh?" Mickey asked, still looking concerned.

"In the cave." Riku explained. "Before you rescued me… how much did you hear?"

"Gosh… not a lot." Mickey shrugged. "I just felt a bunch o' darkness appear in the cave, so I ran in after ya." Mickey placed a hand as close to Riku's shoulder as he could reach. "Ya can't let everything Xehanort says get to ya."

"But everything he said was _true_!" Riku exclaimed, a bit louder than he'd intended. "He knows… _everything_. My heart's an open book to him—something for him to read whenever he gets bored. He knows all my thoughts, my feelings, my fears… my _wants_."

"We've already talked about that, Riku." Mickey offered. "It's _Xehanort_ that wants darkness. You use dark powers because you're turning Xehanort's influence into a weapon for light."

"Arrgh!" Riku growled, for a moment forgetting to whom he spoke. "You still don't _get_ it! It's not _darkness_ I want! I _hate_ darkness! What I want is nothing but light, but darkness seems to be the only way to _get _it!"

King Mickey remained patient with his former apprentice. "You can't get light from darkness, Riku. You know that."

Riku stopped and took a deep breath. "Your Majesty, I—forgive me. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"It's all right, Riku!" Mickey assured him with a warm smile. "You're just stressed, that's all."

"Oh, you have no _idea_." Riku sighed. He still could not face Mickey as he went on, "It's just… I'm not the Keybearer I should be. I want things I know I shouldn't want… I _feel _things I know I shouldn't _feel_."

"Don't be afraid of your feelings, Riku." Mickey said. "Ya gotta _face_ your feelings and let your heart guide you. Those feelings are yours and nobody else's."

Riku chuckled dryly. "That's where you're wrong. I know somebody else who feels _exactly_ the way I do. The only difference is… _he_ got what he wanted."

Mickey's ears drooped. and his face fell. "It's Sora, isn't it?"

Riku nodded. "_That's_ what I want, Your Majesty. I want the one thing that Sora's always had, that means more to both of us than anything else in the worlds. I want _Kairi_. I want her heart to belong to _me_, not to _Sora_. She's had my heart and Sora's ever since we were little kids. But she only picked one of us… and it wasn't me."

King Mickey did not look surprised; only sad. Riku did not notice this, however, as he continued speaking. "It _should've_ been me… it _would've_ been me. I risked _everything_ for her, but she picked Sora because I was _evil_. By the time I even figured out who I _was_ again, it was already too late. If I hadn't been so _stupid_… she might be carrying _my_ baby right now."

Riku threw out his arms and shot two massive bursts of Dark Aura from his hands, shouting all the while. These bursts crashed into the nearby trees, splintering the trunks and scattering a score of flying creatures from the branches above. Mickey said nothing during this display, but only looked more dejected than ever.

At the end of his great outburst, Riku threw himself back onto the tree root and buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I'm just so _tired_ of living this way. I'm hopelessly in love with by _best friend's wife_. And Xehanort's using that to kill me inside every day. I don't know what to _do_."

Finally, King Mickey did speak. The mouse king placed a comforting hand on Riku's back and said softly, "It's all right, Riku. I know."

Riku looked up at Mickey, tears stinging the back of his eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall. "You _knew_? For how long? Why didn't you _say_ anything?"

"I guess I kinda _always_ knew." Mickey answered. "I just pretended I didn't. I didn't wanna hurt you, Riku, but I guess I'll hurt you worse if I don't get involved."

"I don't see what you can do." Riku said with an exasperated sigh.

Mickey's ears drooped even lower and he shook his head. "I don't either, Riku. This was never supposed to happen."

"Huh?" Riku questioned, suddenly sitting up. "What do you mean?"

"Whelp," Mickey explained, "if the worlds were perfect, everybody would have their own One True Love, like Sora and Kairi or me and Minnie. But sometimes, hearts get paired up wrong. Some folks _never_ find their One True Love… and some people fall in love with people who never love them back. It's sad, but—"

"Don't tell me any more." Riku barked angrily, rising from his seat upon the tree root. He was _outraged_. He had loved Kairi since before he'd known what love really was… and now Mickey was telling him that it was all a _mistake_? Some sort of cosmic _hiccup_ that was never supposed to happen? Riku couldn't believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it. And Xehanort, still present in the darkest shadow of Riku's heart, didn't want him to believe it either.

Riku was already starting to give in.

By this point, Riku was certain that he would be known as the greatest mistake to ever be born into the worlds. The keyblade had originally chosen him, but due to his _mistake_ of falling into darkness, it had instead gone to Sora. He had made the _mistake_ of getting caught in Maleficent's web of deception. He had made the _mistake_ of joining with Xehanort and nearly killing his best friend. And now, on top of everything else, it turned out that his feelings for Kairi—every bit of which were as strong as Sora's—were a _mistake_. Why, who was to say that Riku's very _heart_ wasn't one big mistake? What if _Riku_ was a mistake in and of _himself_? How much better would the worlds be without _Riku_?

_Yes, Riku. _Now_ you understand_. crooned the voice of Xehanort's Heartless from the dark fathoms of Riku's heart. _You are a creature of darkness—an outcast from the realm of light. But the darkness has no prejudices, no false pretenses. It will accept you for what you are. _Give in, _Riku. You know it is in your heart._

Riku paused. Perhaps it _was_ in his heart. Perhaps he would be doing the worlds a _favor_ if he embraced the darkness. It would certainly be easier—even Yoda had said that. Perhaps...

Xehanort's voice was suddenly cast out from Riku's heart, melted away by the warmth of King Mickey's reassuring pat on the back as he said, "I know it's gotta be hard, Riku." There was a kind smile on his face as he said, "But you _can't_ let Xehanort get ya down now! I know he's probably making you feel worthless, but it's not true! Remember the Horned King? Without you, we _never_ woulda beat him. You're just as much of a hero as Sora."

"And yet _Sora_ still got the girl." Riku replied dryly.

King Mickey sighed and his kindly smile slowly drew downward into a frown. "I'm sorry, Riku. Kairi's heart belongs to Sora… nothin' can change that."

Riku sighed and looked away from the mouse king. "I know." he muttered. "That just doesn't make it any easier."

"Gosh, Riku." Mickey said sadly. "I wish there was somethin' I could tell ya. But ya just gotta be strong. _Please_… promise me you'll never give in to the darkness... not even for Kairi."

Riku nodded, but at the moment, he didn't know if he really meant it. "I'll do my best."

Mickey's large ears perked up at this, and his old smile returned. "That's my pal!" he said cheerily, hopping off the tree root and heading back to Yoda's hut.

"Your Majesty?"

Mickey turned around to face Riku, whose dejected expression had developed into a blatantly curious one.

"What is it, Riku?" the mouse king queried.

"When you rescued me from Xehanort's Heartless," Riku began, "did he say anything to you? Anything about _me_?"

Mickey froze. The diminutive king knew all too well what Xehanort had said: _He will spawn the greatest darkness the worlds have ever seen, and you won't even realize it until it's already far too late_. Still, Mickey didn't know if it would be a good idea to tell Riku this. On the one hand, Riku was under far too much stress already, and Xehanort was already encroaching too deeply into Riku's heart. On the other, Mickey knew that if he withheld this information, the effect it would have on the worlds would be catastrophic. He knew that the _smart_ thing to do would be to _tell_ Riku, but he couldn't convince himself that it was the _wise_ thing. The _right_ thing.

In the end, there was nothing for Mickey to do but shake his head.

"Nothin'. Nothin' at all."

* * *

The _Millennium Falcon_ was on the run.

Captain Lorth Needa watched with great satisfaction as his _Imperial-II _class Star Destroyer rained heavy cannon fire down upon the _Falcon_. With the _Avenger_ on its tail and the asteroids up ahead, Needa knew the _Falcon_ would soon be overwhelmed.

At least, that was his _hope_.

Captain Needa knew that the asteroid belt was only so wide, and could only provide a challenge to the _Millennium Falcon_ for so long. Even now, the once impregnable wall of asteroids was dwindling into a few widely spread masses of space debris. Unless the _Falcon_ could be apprehended quickly, it would soon make a jump to hyperspace and thus be lost for a good while to come.

Needa knew that such news would _not_ please Lord Vader.

The Sith Lord seemed to be pressuring Needa harder with each successive transmission he sent to the _Avenger_. Vader seemed to be _obsessed_ with the _Millennium Falcon_, and was unyielding in his desire for Needa to capture it. Captain Needa couldn't help but wonder why.

Of course, he could not know that the reason for Darth Vader's obsession happened to be a pregnant queen from a world beyond this galaxy. Needa had no way of knowing that Kairi was the only person left that Vader considered a true friend. She was Vader's only connection to the man he had once been, and the Sith Lord was determined not to be the one to kill her.

All Captain Lorth Needa knew was that if he didn't deliver the _Millennium Falcon_ to Vader, then very bad things would happen to him.

That was why, as Needa gazed out the cockpit of his Star Destroyer, a feeling of cold dread washed over him.

The _Millennium Falcon_ had emerged from the asteroid field unscathed. It would be going into hyperspace at any given moment. Needa could almost feel Darth Vader's wrath crushing his throat as the _Falcon_ cleared the last of the asteroid field. The experienced Imperial captain even counted down in his head as the seconds ticked away, certain that the _Falcon_ would disappear into lightspeed at any time.

_Five… four… three… two… one…_

Something was wrong.

Instead of blasting off into lightspeed, the _Millennium Falcon_ only continued to sit there in the cold vacuum of space. Another massive blast from the _Avenger_'s cannons struck the _Falcon_, causing it to visibly jerk forward. Another hit like that, Needa knew, and the _Falcon_ would be done for.

No sooner had the order come out of Needa's mouth to fire on the rear of the _Millennium Falcon_ than did something quite unexpected occur. Rather than disappearing into lightspeed, the _Millennium Falcon_ abruptly turned around. Needa could scarcely believe his eyes.

The _Falcon_ was headed straight toward them!

Captain Lorth Needa's training kept him from panicking, but he was unable to suppress his shock as he called to his men, "They're moving into attack position! Shields up!"

Several shots were fired at the oncoming _Millennium Falcon_, but in their own state of panic, none of the gunnery officers were able to land a hit on their target. The _Millennium Falcon_ accelerated forward, and it looked to Needa as though it were going to try to ram the _Avenger_'s command bridge. Lorth Needa and all the pilots aboard the _Avenger_ quickly ducked, acting purely on defensive instinct. In this state, with heads down and eyes shut, no one saw as the _Falcon_ sped past the command bridge of the _Avenger_. The roaring of engines and bursts of blaster fire were replaced with an eerie silence. Captain Needa stood up, and immediately wished that he hadn't.

The _Millennium Falcon_ was nowhere to be seen.

Needa began to panic. The _Falcon_ was gone. Where could it be? Surely it hadn't jumped to lightspeed _behind_ the _Avenger_, where the asteroid belt would surely crush it. No, the _Millennium Falcon_ was out here in space _somewhere_. It _had_ to be. If it wasn't, then…

Needa didn't want to think about it.

It took all of Captain Lorth Needa's military training to crunch down his fear, but he was finally able to compose himself. He turned to the _Avenger_'s tracking officer and ordered, "Track them. They may come around for another pass."

As the tracking officer checked his console, Needa silently prayed to whatever galactic deities might be out there to hear him. He _desperately_ hoped that the _Millennium Falcon_ would make another pass. Lord Vader wanted that ship, and the Dark Lord of the Sith was not reputed to be a patient man. Needa even began to wonder if it really _was_ a man inside that sinister black shell. Could any _man_ be so dreadfully cold and heartless?

Needa was beginning to think that underneath Darth Vader's mask was the face of a monster.

Captain Lorth Needa had just begun picturing what sort of monstrous face could be hiding beneath Lord Vader's mask when the tracking officer suddenly said, "Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on our scopes."

"They can't have disappeared." Needa declared. "No ship that small has a cloaking device."

The words were but small comfort to Captain Needa, who, while his face remained as stony and determined as he'd always been trained to keep it, was still sufficiently rattled. What if the _Falcon_ _did_ have a cloaking device? What if it had somehow _disappeared_? What would Lord Vader do then?

The Dark Lord of the Sith became more of a monster to Needa's mind with each passing second. Each passing _microsecond_.

"Well," the tracking officer shrugged, "there's no trace of them, sir."

Before Needa could respond, or even open his mouth, or even fully register what the officer had just said, another voice reached his ears. This one came from the _Avenger_'s communications officer, who now looked up from his console to address the captain. "Captain, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit."

Captain Lorth Needa's heart froze in his breast, and for a moment, it seemed as though the man were dead, unable to even fall. But then, Needa's heart began to beat again. Louder and louder, faster and faster it went, until the poor Imperial captain was sure that the whole command bridge could hear the echoing of his heartbeat. _Lord Vader…_ he thought, suddenly gripped with an inexplicable feeling of intense nausea. His head swam as he finished his thought: _Lord Vader wants an update _now_? _Now, _of all times? What can I tell him?_

In the end, there was but one option for Captain Lorth Needa to take. He took one last breath as he turned to his first officer, who was standing close at hand. "Get a shuttle ready_._" Needa instructed. "I shall assume full responsibility for losing them and apologize to Lord Vader. Meanwhile, continue to scan the area."

"Yes, Captain Needa." the officer replied promptly. Still, no matter how brief the officer's statement had been, Captain Needa could hear the anxiety in the officer's voice. Taking responsibility for _himself_ was already enough to get the Imperial captain killed, but assuming accountability for the entire _crew_? Lorth Needa was a dead man already. The facts that he drew breath and that his heart still hammered in his chest were but mere detail, which Lord Vader would attend to shortly.

There was no more doubt in Needa's heart as he left the command bridge that the Dark Lord of the Sith was _indeed_ a monster.

A monster that Captain Lorth Needa would have to face alone.

* * *

To anyone who might have been watching, the scene currently taking place on Dagobah would surely have been a strange and rather comical sight.

Luke Skywalker was standing on his hands in the middle of a small area of clear, muddy land. Yoda sat atop Luke's right foot, providing instructions from his lofty—albeit rather smelly—perch. A few feet away from Luke, two relatively large stones sat side by side in the muck and mire. Donald Duck was seated atop one of the stones, resting from all the "hard work" (as he called it) he had exerted by walking to this place, a mere fifty yards from Yoda's hut; actually, it was in the exact spot where the party had first encountered Yoda. Mickey, Riku, Taran, and Goofy were standing a good distance from Luke and Yoda, giving them plenty of room to conduct the former's training. R2-D2 was a fair distance form the training ground, and came to rest beside King Mickey (R2-D2, unlike C-3PO, seemed to recognize his friends from the Battle of Naboo).

Very slowly, Luke painstakingly raised his right hand, grimacing slightly as the entirety of his weight shot into his left arm. "Use the Force, _yes_." Yoda instructed his pupil from his perch atop Luke's foot. "Now… the stone."

Luke concentrated harder, reaching for the stone not pinned down by Donald Duck. He formed a mental picture in his mind, and poured all his conscious thought into that single image. In another moment, the mental image became reality, and the rock slowly rose from the ground, suspended in midair by the Force.

"Feel it." Yoda instructed Luke.

In the Force, Luke could sense the stone's texture and weight as clearly as if he were holding it in his hand. It was dry on top and slippery on the bottom, Luke now knew, and wasn't nearly as heavy as he'd thought.

Taran of Caer Dallben was intensely focused on Luke's lesson. While he was a Keybearer, and therefore had no access to the Force, Riku had told him to pay careful attention. Any wisdom Taran could pick up would be good wisdom, especially when it came from Master Yoda. Riku had been careful to warn Taran about Yoda's prejudices and detached attitude, which the young Keybearer apprentice was advised to avoid. Still, Taran could learn much here—particularly from the occasional debates held by Master Yoda and King Mickey.

Suddenly, a low bubbling sound reached Taran's ears. Taran let out an audible gasp as he turned around, only to watch Luke Skywalker's X-wing fighter sinking into the peat bog in which it lay. This sudden sinking caused one of the X-wing's four wing-mounted laser tips to puncture the emergency water landing apparatus of the _Cygnus_. The air bags that kept the Gummi ship afloat now collapsed, sending the _Cygnus_ to join Luke's X-wing in the murky depths of the peat bog.

The gasp that Taran had issued forth from his mouth now managed to break Luke's concentration, just as he had been lifting the stone over Donald Duck's head. "Concentrate!" Yoda tried to warn Luke, but it was too late.

Everything crashed to the ground.

First, Luke lost his balance, sending his body sprawling and turning Yoda's warning into a howl of "_Concentraaaaaaaate!_"

The stone that Luke had been lifting fell a microsecond after Luke did; it fell on Donald Duck's head with a mighty _thump_. "_Wak_!" Donald quacked in pain and anger, leaping from his seat and hopping up and down, waving his fists about. "What's the big idea? Why I oughtta—"

Donald's shouts were quickly silenced when the magician looked upon the capsized _Cygnus_ and X-wing. "Oh _no_…" Donald quacked. "How are we gonna get outta here _now_?"

Luke looked just as hopeless. "We'll _never_ get 'em out."

Yoda and Mickey both stepped forward. "So certain are you?" Yoda asked indignantly. The diminutive Jedi Master had recovered from his fall, and now faced Luke with what everyone thought was a look of disapproval of Luke's very _existence_. "Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?" Yoda questioned a bit more harshly than a teacher would normally scold a student.

"Don't worry, fellas." King Mickey added, countering Yoda's negative remark with a positive one that was so characteristic of the mouse king. "We'll get 'em out, you'll see."

"Masters," Luke addressed the two (Mickey was a bit surprised that Luke also regarded _him_ as a master, since he had always gone by the title of king, on this planet at least), "moving stones around is one thing." Luke motioned toward the capsized ships. "This is totally different."

"No!" Yoda insisted. "No different! Only different in your _mind_! You must unlearn what you have learned."

"Is…" Taran asked hesitantly, stepping up beside Luke. "Is it really possible?"

King Mickey gave Taran a nod and a smile. "Sure it is. _Anything's_ possible… if you believe."

Luke sighed, obviously unconvinced. "All right. I'll give it a try."

"_No_!" Yoda said sharply. "Try not. _Do_. Or do not. There is no try."

As Luke halfheartedly closed his eyes and gestured toward his X-wing, Mickey looked to Taran. "Go ahead, Taran. Try to get _our_ ship outta the water. I _know_ ya can!"

Taran smiled at the king, appreciating this luxury that Luke did not have. Mickey _believed_ in Taran and trusted him to meet all expectations. Yoda did not have such faith in Luke. Yoda _had_ no expectations; he had _requirements_, and he seemed very doubtful that Luke would be able to meet them.

This reflected in the education that the two pupils were receiving. Taran, like all Keybearer apprentices, had been taught to draw strength from the love and support of his friends and allies. Luke was being trained as a Jedi, and as such was being trained to go about his tasks on initiative alone. He was being taught to ignore the support of friends and trust only in the Force, because depending on friends would mean forming attachments, which would mean violating one of the most ancient of Jedi codes.

It was not difficult to understand why Taran had a more positive outlook than Luke did.

Taran took his place on the edge of the peat bog, directly in front of where the _Cygnus_ had sunk. He decided that a Magnet spell would be best, and would be most efficient in drawing the _Cygnus_ out of the muck. Taran summoned his keyblade (for using magic without one was a technique that not even Master Sora had learned) and concentrated.

Instantly, a swirling mass of magical energy appeared over the place where the _Cygnus_ now rested in the marsh. Taran focused all his strength of heart into that mass, and was amazed to see the tip of one of the _Cygnus_'s wings now emerging from the mire. Behind him, Taran could hear his friends whooping and cheering him on—even his master, Riku, who was not known to get excited over things of this nature. Ahead, Taran could see the nose of Luke's X-wing coming forth, but Master Yoda offered no praise. The diminutive Jedi Grand Master remained as stoic as the nearby trees as he watched the progress of the two apprentices.

Suddenly, Taran felt his mental reserves begin to drain. Though the _Cygnus_ was just over a third of the way out of the peat bog, Taran could not find the mental strength to maintain his spell long enough to raise it any higher. At last, on the verge of fainting from exhaustion, Taran was forced to release his spell. The _Cygnus_ slowly sank back into the dense muck.

Luke had already released his hold on the X-wing, and it was already fully submerged in the depths of the peat bog. He turned from the bog and dropped on the ground beside Master Yoda. "I can't." he panted. Obviously, his own mental reserves had been as strained as Taran's. "It's too big."

Taran did not fall, but only sighed wearily as he approached King Mickey. "He speaks truth, Your Majesty. I cannot lift our ship any more than he could lift his."

"You did _great_, Taran." Mickey assured the boy. "Low-level magic doesn't usually work on stuff that big. I think you might have a real thing for magic!"

Taran's face lit up. Having grown up at Caer Dallben under the care of the greatest sorcerer in Prydain (excluding, of course, the now deceased Horned King), Taran had always had an affinity for magic. The thought that he might one day be as powerful as his master was a great joy to him. "Do you think so?"

"I _know_ so!" Mickey assured him.

A scant few feet away, Yoda was not praising his own pupil. If anything, he was _scolding_ him. "Size matters not." he told Luke firmly. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Mm?"

Luke shook his head, knowing better than to judge the Jedi Grand Master by stature alone. Yoda and King Mickey were classic examples of the adage, "Size doesn't matter."

"Mmmm." Yoda acknowledged, approving Luke's negative response. "And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. _Luminous_ beings are we, not this crude matter." As he spoke this last sentence, Yoda pinched Luke's shoulder. With a sweeping motion of his hands, Yoda went on, "You must feel the Force around you! Here, between you… me… the tree… the rock… _everywhere_! Yes, even between the land and the ship!"

Riku was about to speak to Taran, but Mickey Mouse beat him to it. "Magic is the exact _opposite_." the king explained. Riku shrugged and deferred to Mickey's wisdom—after all, Mickey _was_ Taran's official magic teacher. Riku was Taran's master in name alone; in reality, Taran received tutelage from _all_ the Keybearers (including, albeit rarely, some instruction from Sora during visits to Radiant Garden).

"Magic," Mickey explained, "comes from your _heart_. It comes from _inside_ you, not _outside_. That's why we can use magic even on worlds where magic doesn't usually exist. The problem lots o' Keybearers have is that they try to use their _heads_ to use magic. That'll work a little, but the _heart_ is where the _real_ power is. Ya understand?"

Taran nodded, clutching a hand to his breast. "The heart. I must remember that."

Mickey smiled. "I got faith in ya, and so does everybody else!"

Taran looked to Luke, who seemed to be more downhearted than ever. Taran wondered if Yoda had ever heard the words _positive reinforcement_ before, and whether the term might improve his educational technique. After a moment, a dejected Luke Skywalker stood and walked away from the peat bog. "You ask the impossible."

Yoda sighed, finally deciding that a demonstration was in order. The Jedi Grand Master closed his eyes and outstretched his tiny hand toward the X-wing.

Everyone gasped in surprise (except for, most notably, King Mickey) as the fighter began to rise from the bog, dripping murky water from its hull. The ship now hovered a few feet above the bog, and everyone could see the moss and fungi that now draped over it. Donald quacked in shock before he sprinted away from the area where the X-wing was about to land. The ship landed softly upon the muddy ground, and Yoda opened his eyes. The Jedi master said nothing, but looked to King Mickey sternly, his long ears now pointing toward Mickey like accusing fingers.

Mickey looked a bit surprised to see this facial expression from Yoda. He realized that Yoda had not only lifted the ship to demonstrate for Luke, but also to _challenge_ Mickey. It was an unspoken contest, to see whether the philosophy of the Keybearers or of the Jedi was greater.

Mickey answered Yoda's gaze with a gentle smile as he approached the edge of the peat bog. In spite of themselves, everyone (even Luke, who had returned to the site after hearing the gasps from his friends) rushed to observe King Mickey. It was not often that the lord of Disney Castle displayed his full mystical might, but it was always an amazing spectacle for those that could observe.

King Mickey began with a simple outstretching of his left arm. He pointed his gloved finger downward and gestured in a slow circular motion. This continued for a second or so before the bog began to react. The dense water of the bog began to swirl about, faster and faster, until a small whirlpool was created. This small whirlpool soon developed into a localized maelstrom, reaching the bottom of the deep bog. As everyone could now see, Mickey had cast a powerful Aeroja spell upon the entire Gummi ship, creating a vacuum that removed all water from its immediate proximity. The _Cygnus_ was on a patch of dry land, surrounded on all sides by a wall of muck kept in check only by Mickey's spell.

With his left hand still moving in a circular pattern, keeping the Aeroja spell around the _Cygnus_, Mickey gestured upward with his right arm. A Magneja spell appeared just above the Gummi ship, drawing it up from its resting place. Once the _Cygnus _was safely above the surface of the peat bog, Mickey dismissed the Aeroja spell. The displaced water of the bog came rushing to fill the space that the _Cygnus_ had once occupied, and in a moment, it was as though the ship had never been in the bog at all. Like Luke's X-wing, the _Cygnus_ was covered in moss and fungi, but still it remained suspended in midair by Mickey's Magneja spell.

With his now free left hand, Mickey motioned toward the large patch of empty land just beside Luke's X-wing. An immense Gravija spell appeared there, drawing the airborne _Cygnus_ down toward it. Mickey kept his Magneja spell strong, however, which reduced what would have been a great crash to a very soft landing as the _Cygnus_ touched the ground. With a final wave of his hands, Mickey dissolved all of his spells.

Mickey looked with satisfaction at the two ships, one X-wing and one Falcon Lv. 10 class Gummi ship, that now stood side by side on the damp ground. The mouse king had met Yoda's silent challenge, and with a good deal more finesse than Yoda had demonstrated. All of King Mickey's friends gathered around him and offered their enthusiastic congratulations, which the mouse king humbly accepted.

Luke was still stunned by the two masters' respective displays of power. "I don't… I don't believe it." he marveled.

Yoda snorted. He was a bit incensed by what he perceived as an arrogant show of force by King Mickey, but in his deepest of hearts, he was saddened by Luke's response. Luke didn't _believe_ it. The boy had no faith in what he could not physically _see_.

In the end, the Grand Master of the former Jedi Order could only say, "That is why you fail."

* * *

**A/N: Well, there you have it. For all of you who dislike Riku's feelings toward Kairi, you should be releived to know that he has finally taken some action. How effective this action will be has yet to be discovered, however, so you'll have to sit tight. **

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! My updating a bit later than normal allowed the previous chapter to garner _twelve_ reviews, my highest count to date. Keep it up! It is always good to know that you care. I do apologize to those of you whom I usually treat with a review for _your_ stories, but as I've said, I'm very behind. I will try to get to you soon, and I hope to update fairly soon as well (knock on wood, cross fingers, throw salt over left shoulder, etc.).**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	8. Welcome to Bespin

****

A/N: Here we are, another gift straight from the desk of Lord Moldybutt. Not much to say today, so happy reading!

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**Chapter 8: Welcome to Bespin**

The _Imperial-II _class Star Destroyer _Avenger_ rendezvoused with the Imperial fleet just outside the asteroid belt of the Hoth system, overshadowed by the immense bulk of Darth Vader's personal flagship. Captain Lorth Needa boarded the _Executor_ by means of an Imperial shuttle, and soon reported to the command bridge. It was there that he had spoken his final words. Lord Vader had sensed Needa's fear even before the captain had landed, and was impatient as Needa issued a formal apology to the Dark Lord of the Sith. At last, when Darth Vader grew bored of Captain Needa's tiresome speech, the Sith Lord reached out a hand and clenched it into a fist.

Darth Vader watched with cold indifference as Needa fell to the ground before him, the captain's throat securely grasped by the Sith Lord's mastery of the dark side of the Force. Vader looked on without emotion as the veins popped in Needa's forehead and the captain gasped for air, unable to breathe in Vader's grip. How _dare_ Captain Needa fail him? How _dare_ he let the _Millennium Falcon_ get away? How _dare_ he force Darth Vader to do everything _himself_?

No matter, Darth Vader assured himself. That was what the bounty hunters were for. Let _them_ find the _Millennium Falcon_. Let _them_ do what Darth Vader knew that he could not. Let _them_ capture Sora and Kairi.

At last, Darth Vader heard a satisfying _thump_ as Captain Needa's body dropped to the ground, the life strangled from the Imperial captain.

Captain Needa had faced his monster, and he had lost.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa." Darth Vader told the lifeless corpse.

Two Imperial soldiers dressed in tidy black uniforms proceeded to carry Captain Lorth Needa's body from the command bridge. As they did so, Darth Vader stormed across the bridge to a nearby command console. Admiral Firmus Piett and several other Imperial officers were gathered around the console, interpreting the data readouts. Admiral Piett felt the shadow of Darth Vader looming over him and quickly snapped to attention. "Lord Vader," Piett stated with a bit of hesitance, "our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the _Millennium Falcon_ went into lightspeed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now."

"Alert all commands." Darth Vader instantly instructed his admiral. "Calculate every possible destination along their last known trajectory."

"Yes, my lord." Piett affirmed quickly. "We'll find them."

To say that Darth Vader was angry would not do the Sith Lord justice. Was he angry? Of course he was—he'd just lost the ship carrying some of the most valuable people ever to earn the Empire's enmity. But there was something _beyond_ all that. Darth Vader was _sad_. It had been his _hope_ to keep his hands clean of Kairi's blood, and of the blood of the infant that had just begun life inside Kairi's womb. Kairi was, in Vader's eyes, completely innocent—she had once been his _friend_, one of the few people who had been loyal to him in a time when friends were difficult to come by. It was not because of any wrongdoing that Emperor Palpatine had marked the Princess of Heart for death.

Kairi was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Empire would find Kairi and would kill her because she _happened_ to be married to one of the most powerful Keyblade Masters in history. She would die because she _happened_ to be carrying the _child_ of said Keyblade Master. And she would die because she _happened_ to be connected to the man that Darth Vader had once been, and Emperor Palpatine had explicitly ordered Vader on several occasions to eliminate _all_ ties to his former life.

As Darth Vader thought about this, he suddenly didn't feel like throttling Firmus Piett, even though the admiral _clearly_ deserved it for his failure.

Instead of killing Piett, Darth Vader only told him coldly, "Don't fail me again, Admiral."

Piett was confused as to why Darth Vader hadn't killed him, but he accepted the boon without a word. He would hate for Vader to inmisconstrue that question as a _complaint_. Firmus Piett had been trained not to fear death, but still, the admiral had no intention of dying just yet. "Alert all commands." Piett told one of his aides who happened to be standing nearby. "Deploy the fleet."

Standard Imperial protocol soon went underway. Everyone aboard the _Executor_ was completely focused upon the current task of tracing the _Millennium Falcon_'s possible trajectories and deploying as many ships as could be spared—possibly more, lest they try Darth Vader's patience once more by not utilizing _all_ their resources. So focused were the crewmembers on their task, and so certain were they that the _Falcon_ had left the system, that nary a single man aboard thought to look out the window.

Not that it would have done them much good, since the _Millennium Falcon_, resting flat against the hull of one of the Star Destroyers, blended almost perfectly with the monochromic features of the _Imperial-II _class vessel. Han Solo had chosen quite an advantageous landing spot—provided that one ignored the obvious risk that landing atop a Star Destroyer might pose.

* * *

"Captain Solo," C-3PO said for what must have been the tenth time, "this time you have gone too far!"

Sora and Kairi let out simultaneous groans of annoyance. Yes, it was true that landing the _Millennium _Falcon on the hull of an Imperial Star Destroyer was dangerous. Yes, it was true that C-3PO's projected odds of survival were slim. Yes, it was true that to stay would risk being taken into hyperspace along with the rest of the Imperial fleet, thus cutting the king and queen of Radiant Garden off from their allies on Dagobah. But still, both Sora and Kairi had taken greater risks than this one in their _sleep_, and they knew that C-3PO's anxiety was on the borderline of excessive. Or it _had_ been on the borderline… C-3PO had crossed that line about ten minutes ago.

"Threepio," Kairi addressed her worrywart friend (she _did_ still consider C-3PO a friend, even though the droid clearly had no recollection of her whatsoever), "could you be quiet for _five minutes_?"

"No, I will _not_ be quiet, Miss Kairi!" C-3PO huffed indignantly. "Why doesn't anyone listen to me?"

"Probably because you have a tendency to overreact." Sora snapped, sounding a bit more harshly than he had intended.

That got C-3PO quiet for a moment.

During this welcomed moment of silence, everyone in the _Millennium Falcon_'s cockpit leaned forward to look out the cockpit window. The Star Destroyers were beginning to move off in different directions, as though trying to give each other enough room to do… _something_.

"The fleet's beginning to break up." Han Solo said, his brow furrowed, focusing all attention on the Imperial fleet. After a second or two, he turned to Chewbacca. "Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw."

Unfortunately, this command ended C-3PO's brief moment of silence. "I don't see how that is going to help." the protocol droid said matter-of-factly. "Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances. The Empire may be gracious enough—"

That was as far as C-3PO got before Princess Leia reached over and located the droid's off switch. C-3PO slumped forward in his seat and his eyes grew dim, now powerless until such time as the others saw fit to reactivate him. Sora, who stood beside Kairi in the rear of the cockpit, quickly moved C-3PO out of the chair and set the droid aside, offering the now vacant seat to Kairi. Kairi accepted it graciously, knowing that Sora offered it to her both because he loved her and because he wanted her to conserve her energy. Though Kairi was still in the very early stages of pregnancy, neither she nor Sora wanted to take any unnecessary risks, particularly in the middle of such a stressful environment as galactic civil war.

"Thank you." Han told Leia, his gratitude toward her a bit overshadowed by his annoyance at C-3PO. "Hope you guys didn't have any plans to surrender back there—if you survived _half_ the stuff you told us about earlier, then you don't sound like the surrendering type."

"Nope." Sora answered automatically. "We're good."

"Still," Kairi added, "I'd kinda like to know what you have _planned_ for this. Or are you gonna be like Sora and just make it up as you go?"

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, but he could not say anything further. He had to admit that Kairi was right—he usually _did_ just make things up as he went along. It had worked out pretty well for him so far, he thought; still, he sincerely hoped that Han had some sort of plan. Landing on an Imperial Star Destroyer wasn't something a rational person would do without reason.

Fortunately, there _was_ a method to Han's madness. "Well," he explained, "if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed, and then we just float away.

"With the rest of the garbage." Leia observed, her biting comment causing Han to visibly wince. "Then what?"

"Then we gotta find a safe port somewhere around here." With the touch of a button, a map screen flickered onto the _Millennium Falcon_'s control panel. As everyone moved closer to study the map, Han asked, "Got any ideas?"

"No." Leia responded.

Han shot a glance at Sora, who only shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. I don't even know where we are _now_"

"The Anoat system." Han informed him, hoping that would help.

"Anoat system?" Leia repeated, contemplating this position for a moment. "There's not much there."

"No," Han agreed. However, after a moment or two, he found something on the map screen that he hadn't noticed before. "Well wait. This is interesting. _Lando_."

"Lando system?" Leia questioned skeptically.

Han grinned. "Lando's not a system, he's a man. Lando Calrissian. He's a card player, gambler—_scoundrel_." With a knowing glance to Leia, he added, "You'd like him."

Leia returned Han's grin with a smirk. "Thanks."

Sora and Kairi both took note of the exchange and then looked toward each other with grins on their faces. Something was _definitely_ going on between Han and Leia. While still inside the mouth of the "asteroid cave," when Han and Leia had supposedly gone to work on the ship's hyperdrive, they had stayed much longer than had been expected. C-3PO had gone to check in on them, and had returned a moment later to report that Han and Leia were "exchanging saliva in that odd human display of affection."

Sora and Kairi had known immediately what _that_ meant. Still, as they watched Han's attention return to the map screen, they knew that they had to keep their opinions to themselves. Love took time to manifest completely, after all, and such things could not be rushed.

"Bespin." Han murmured, as much to himself as to anyone. He was giving this destination a good deal of thought. "It's pretty far, but I think we can make it."

Sora looked at the map screen again. "It says here it's supposed to be some kinda mining colony." he observed.

"Yeah," Han affirmed, "a Tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it. We go a long way back, Lando and me." Han leaned back in his seat as he shared this information, his eyes glistening with memory.

Still, something in Han's tone indicated that his history with Lando wasn't particularly friendly. "Can you trust him?" Leia asked.

"No." Han confessed.

"So why are we going to find him?" Kairi questioned. "Don't we need someone we can actually _trust_? You're part of the Rebel Alliance, and Sora and I are already on Palpatine's bad side. What if Lando hands us over to the Empire?"

"He's got no love for the Empire, I can tell you that." Han assured Kairi, though she and Sora still looked doubtful. It was true that the enemy of one's enemy could be one's friend, but all they had to go on was Han's word, which seemed dubious at best.

Chewbacca barked something over the _Millennium Falcon_'s intercom, ending these thoughts prematurely. Han adjusted his readouts while everyone else in the cockpit looked out the large window. A hatch was opening on one of the _Imperial-II _class Star Destroyers, very near where the _Millennium Falcon_ lay hidden. "Here we go, Chewie." Han said into the intercom on the console in front of him. "Stand by."

Han Solo waited a few seconds more, allowing large chunks of metal debris to come floating out of the hatch. The Imperials _were_ following procedure, and they _were_ dumping their trash. After a few large hunks of metallic refuse had drifted away, Han Solo called into the intercom, "Detach!"

The _Millennium Falcon_ now released its landing claw, freeing itself from the hull of the Star Destroyer. It floated along with other large hunks of garbage, and to the sensors of any large ship, the _Falcon_ would have appeared only as another chunk of scrap.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the Star Destroyer became smaller in the distance, and Kairi instinctively placed a hand to her stomach. Sora placed his own hand over hers and looked into her eyes with a loving smile. For now, at least, the baby would be safe. His hand still on Kairi's stomach, Sora leaned forward and whispered softly into her ear, "Y'know, it's probably gonna take us a while to get to Bespin without a hyperdrive. You need to use this time to just take it easy. I think you and the baby have both had enough excitement for today. Come on. I'll fix up a place for you to take a nap in the main hold."

Kairi had no choice but to comply. She _was_ rather sleepy, she had to admit, and the softness of Sora's words and the gentleness of his touch were too much for the queen of Radiant Garden to resist. She allowed Sora to lead her into the main hold, leaving Han and Leia alone in the cockpit.

Leia, meanwhile, had decided to give a little credit where credit was due. She knew that the passengers of the _Millennium Falcon_ owed this escape to Han Solo's quick thinking and exceptional piloting skills, and she even admired it. "You have your moments," she told the captain, leaning forward and placing her hands on his shoulder, "not many, but you do have them." Leia then reached forward and planted a kiss on Han's cheek before settling into her seat. Whether the kiss had been out of gratitude or out of… _something else_… Leia could not decide.

Ahead, Han and Leia could now see the three ion engines of the Imperial Star Destroyer begin to heat up. With a blast from these engines, the Star Destroyer vanished into lightspeed, as did the rest of the ships in the Imperial fleet. Finally safe from Imperial eyes, Han Solo turned on the _Millennium Falcon_'s engines and sped away from the large hunks of metal garbage in the exact opposite direction of the Star Destroyers.

As the _Millennium Falcon_ passed, one chunk of scrap suddenly flared to life. It was too late for those aboard the _Falcon_ to notice, but this piece of scrap wasn't scrap at all—it was a heavily modified _Firespray_-class patrol-and-attack ship, loaded with as many hidden blasters and cannons as could be crammed onto the relatively large craft.

This craft was the _Slave I_, and happened to be the preferred mode of transportation of Boba Fett.

The _Slave I_ had remained undetected by the _Millennium Falcon_ due to its outstanding (and quite illegal) masking-and-jamming array, which rendered the ship invisible even to the scanners of such ships as the _Executor_. This array, plus the _Slave I_'s long range sensors, had enabled Boba Fett to infiltrate one of the Star Destroyers and to navigate through the space refuse without detection. The _Slave I_ was even close enough to the _Millennium Falcon_ to keep it within visual range, and still Boba's ship was perfectly safe from detection.

Boba Fett was perfectly confident in his abilities and those of the _Slave I_. He _did_, after all, have a flawless record for getting the job done. But what no one knew about Boba was that the bounty hunter had a bit of an edge over all others.

Boba hadn't just _become_ the greatest bounty hunter the galaxy had ever seen. He'd been _bred_ for it.

Boba Fett was the son of the once renowned bounty hunter, Jango Fett. Jango had also been a great bounty hunter in his time, having even successfully killed a fair number of _Jedi_. It was from Jango that Boba had inherited his armor, his ship, and his impressive bounty hunting skills. Even so, this was not why Jango Fett would be remembered throughout history.

Jango would be remembered because he was the genetic template for the very first Imperial Stormtroopers.

During the waning days of the Old Republic, Jango had been hired by a species of cloners called Kaminoans. Jango was to be the original host for these clones, and had been promised a great reward. Jango agreed, and apart from his substantial pay, he had requested only one item: an unaltered clone for himself. This clone would be an exact replica of Jango Fett, raised by Jango Fett to be the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Jango had named this clone _Boba_.

The other clones of Jango Fett had undergone special procedures, causing them to mature quickly and to lack free will that might turn them against their commanders. These clones went on to become Republic Clone Troopers, who would later be turned into Imperial Stormtroopers once Emperor Palpatine seized power. However, Palpatine believed that having an army made exclusively of Jango Fett clones made the Stormtroopers more vulnerable to what he called "corruption," so new clone templates were assimilated into the ranks. The Stormtrooper legions were now made of many different clones from just as many different templates; only the 501st Legion, Darth Vader's personal squad of elite Stormtroopers, was still made up entirely of Jango Fett clones.

But Boba Fett was far better than any of these clones. Boba had been raised by Jango, taught by Jango, and molded into a perfect warrior by Jango.

In many ways, Boba Fett _was_ Jango. Only better.

Even now, Boba Fett was adhering to the lessons that his "father" had taught him—he checked the _Slave I_'s readouts and computed the _Millennium Falcon_'s trajectory. It was headed, for whatever reason, to the Bespin system. _That's a fair distance from here_, Boba thought, _so why doesn't it go to lightspeed_?

Boba Fett's analytical mind found the answer before the question was even finished.

_Because it _can't_ go to lightspeed_.

Something must have been wrong with the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive. Which, Boba realized, was almost too good to be true. Now that he knew the _Falcon_'s destination, he could easily outdistance the disabled craft and prepare an ambush for his targets.

The _Slave I_ blasted into lightspeed before the _Millennium Falcon_ ever detected it, allowing Boba Fett to begin his plans without alerting anyone to his presence.

The _Millennium Falcon_ and its passengers were doomed.

* * *

On the swampy world of Dagobah, Luke Skywalker had finally decided to take up his Jedi training again. For the second time, he found himself standing on his hands, his feet pointed toward the sky. Jedi Grand Master Yoda, however, had resolved to keep his own feet firmly on the ground. He didn't want a repeat of that last fall he'd taken when Luke had lost his focus. Yoda fully expected Luke to topple again, and even by standing to the side, he evidenced a lack of trust in young Skywalker's discipline.

Luke's other friends were all standing near stacks of equipment cases that had been brought from Luke's X-wing. Since the X-wing and the _Cygnus_ now occupied Luke's former training ground, the group had relocated to a clear patch just beyond Yoda's hut. Yoda now pointedly stood as far away from King Mickey as possible, still expressing his strong disapproval of the mouse king. King Mickey silently admitted to requiting these sour feelings, but neither Yoda nor Mickey acted upon them. Rather, they avoided each other as best they could and kept their minds clear of these bitter thoughts.

"Concentrate." Yoda instructed his pupil.

Luke Skywalker complied, and again formed a picture in his mind. Two of the supply boxes responded to Luke's mental commands, rising a few feet above the ground. The Force held them firmly in place, and would continue to do so until Luke lost his focus.

Personally, King Mickey hoped that Luke would _not_ lose his concentration.

"Feel the Force flow." Yoda continued, his voice soft and rather soothing. Yoda's tone helped Luke to keep his mind clear as the diminutive Jedi acknowledged, "Yes."

R2-D2 began to toot and whistle nervously. Suddenly, the little astromech droid joined the supply boxes in midair, held in place only by the power of the Force. This made R2-D2 beep a bit more loudly, obviously unnerved (if droids could be accused of being unnerved) by the ordeal.

Luke and Yoda were the only ones who didn't have to force back a chuckle at the astromech droid's expense.

"Good." Yoda continued to assure Luke, for once proud of young Skywalker's progress. "Calm, yes. Through the Force, things you will see." Luke briefly opened his eyes and shut them again as he allowed Yoda to continue. "Other places. The future… the past… old friends long gone."

Luke took casual note of this as he continued to focus on lifting the boxes (as well as a still nervous R2-D2). However, no sooner had Yoda told Luke about these visions than Skywalker began to experience one of his own. He could hear the tortured screams of people he knew and cared for; he saw Han's and Leia's faces overshadowed by the blackness of Darth Vader's imposing figure. The last image he received was that of an unfamiliar man, his caramel-colored hair spiked in an odd fashion. This man lay broken and beaten before Darth Vader, obviously in great pain by the Sith Lord's hand, but Luke had no time to consider just who the man might be.

The vision lasted only an instant, but that was enough to make Luke cry out, "Han! Leia!"

Just like the last training exercise of this sort, Luke lost his focus and let everything topple to the ground (R2-D2 even let out a loud shriek as he fell and crashed with a mighty _clang_). Yoda had been prudent to not be perched on Luke's foot—the Jedi Grand Master did not move as he scolded Luke, "_Control_,_ control_, you must learn _control_."

Luke looked addled, though whether by the fall or by his vision was still unclear. He wanted to ask Yoda or even King Mickey to interpret this strange vision, but he knew not how to best express himself. Slowly, carefully, Luke began putting sentences together. "I saw… I saw a city in the clouds."

"Mmm," Yoda murmured, "friends you have there."

Luke's face twisted into a pained expression "They were in pain." he answered.

"It is the future you see." Yoda told Luke immediately, the Jedi Grand master's tone leaving no room for debate.

Still, the thought of this dark vision being the future was a disturbing one. "The future?" Skywalker repeated, worried for his friends and even for the spiky-haired stranger he'd seen. That young man in the vision had looked as though Darth Vader had beaten him to a bloody pulp, and Luke knew that no one deserved to endure that much pain.

It was with great fear and anticipation that Luke asked, "Future? Will they die?"

Yoda closed his eyes but for a moment, meditating for a brief moment. When the diminutive Jedi again opened his eyes, he only stared at Luke. "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."

That wasn't quite good enough for Luke. "I've got to go to them." he resolved, looking ready to climb into his X-wing _now_ and fly it off to save his friends.

Yoda stopped the thought before it was even born as he heaved a weary sigh. "Decide you must how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you _could_… but you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."

King Mickey observed quietly as Luke considered this advice. This was another great difference between the Jedi and the Keybearers: Jedi were loyal to _principles_, and saw individual people only as tools of the Force. Keybearers, on the other hand, were loyal to _people_, and used principles mostly as _guidelines_. A Jedi would have let the vision pass without a second thought, leaving the fate of his comrades in the hands of the Force. A Keybearer would have acted on this vision at once and risked everything to save his friends.

Judging by the expression on Luke Skywalker's face, he would either have made a very bad Jedi or a very good Keybearer.

At last, Mickey decided that he could not withhold his own advice. He approached Luke slowly, ignoring the peculiar look that Yoda shot him as he did so. "Luke," the mouse king said compassionately, "I'm not gonna tell ya what to do. Your pals have Sora with 'em, but if you think they're still in danger, then you should do what's in your heart."

Luke nodded, remembering Mickey and his companions giving a vague description of Sora. By all accounts, Sora was a great warrior and even greater friend, but the vision still haunted Luke and forced him to reevaluate what Yoda had said. Luke now faced a life-defining choice: Did his loyalties lie with Yoda or with his friends?

In the end, it was no decision at all.

* * *

"Excuse me, Sora and Kairi, but I do believe it is time for you to wake up. We are nearing the planet Bespin and shall be landing shortly."

Sora and Kairi both groaned sleepily as they opened their eyes, a bit dismayed to see C-3PO reactivated. The mechanical worrywart had been somewhat of a wet blanket to the optimistic king and queen of Radiant Garden, and to see him reactivated was to listen to more of his unnecessary anxiety. As Kairi slowly began to sit up, she wondered if Anakin Skywalker had _meant_ to make C-3PO so overbearingly practical.

Kairi looked in the direction opposite C-3PO and found Sora snugly nestled beside her, only now beginning to open his eyes and yawn. "Do I have to get up _now_?" he mumbled sleepily. Kairi could only smile fondly at him, reflecting on just how much she loved this lazy bum of hers. Sora had needed no persuasion when Kairi had asked him to sleep beside her as he had each night for the past three years. His warm embrace was more comfortable than any bed, let alone a makeshift one in the main hold of a ship, and both Sora and Kairi had dozed peacefully during the flight to Bespin.

It had taken several hours to reach the planet Bespin without a hyperdrive, though neither Sora nor Kairi even bothered to try to keep track of time anymore. Each of the planets rotated at different speeds and orbited their suns at different rates, making it impossible to know what time it was on each planet until one got there. And to complicate matters even further, time in this galaxy moved much faster than that of Radiant Garden. To try to keep a schedule was both tedious and more than a little useless, and Sora and Kairi were more inclined toward spontaneity anyway.

Sora at last sat up and rubbed his eyes, yawning a second time. "Okay, I'm up." he told the golden protocol droid before both he and Kairi made their way into the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_. C-3PO scuttled in behind them, muttering something about how some organics could sleep through anything.

When Sora and Kairi finally reached the cockpit and managed to look out the large window, they were amazed by what they found. Bespin was a beautiful gaseous planet, filled with thick, puffy clouds and an endless sky of soft reds and oranges. Ahead, what appeared to be a floating city could be seen in the distance, resembling a great wheel lying on its side. This was Cloud City, the largest Tibanna factory on the planet. It was composed of three hundred ninety-two levels, all held aloft by thirty-six hundred repulsorlift engines. A long central stalk pointed downward from the city's base, ending in a unipod. This unipod was equipped with a tractor beam that enabled it to draw Tibanna gas from the planet's atmosphere. The city itself was slowly rotating, and the cityscape had a rounded design. The city was covered with tall flowers and wide plazas, and the massive skyscrapers cast long shadows over Cloud City.

Cloud City, as Sora and Kairi soon learned, was the home of this "Lando Calrissian" that Han Solo had talked about.

However, there was not much time to admire the scenery.

As the _Millennium Falcon_ had entered the atmosphere of Bespin, it had immediately been intercepted by a pair of twin-pod atmospheric craft known as cloud cars. These red airspeeders were used commonly on Cloud City by the Bespin Wing Guard, the main security force for the planet. One of these cloud cars had hailed the _Millennium Falcon_ via comlink, and they were so close to the _Falcon_ that Sora could see the pilot's lips move as he asked a rather disheartening question—with an even more disheartening answer.

"No, I don't have a landing permit." Han Solo said into the _Falcon_'s comlink with audible frustration. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian."

No sooner had Han uttered Lando's name than did a bolt from one of the cloud cars' blaster cannons strike the _Millennium Falcon_. The ship bucked violently as Han shouted into the comlink, "Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain!"

"_You will not deviate from your present course._" the pilot of the cloud car stated firmly.

"Rather touchy, aren't they?" C-3PO queried from his place to Sora's left. C-3PO had readily given up his seat in the _Millennium Falcon_ in order to let Kairi sit in it, and the protocol droid now stood behind Princess Leia's chair. Sora was standing just behind Kairi's seat, his hands squarely on her shoulders. For once, the king and queen of Radiant Garden actually agreed with C-3PO. These Wing Guards _were_ a little too sensitive.

Princess Leia also shared this opinion. She leaned forward in her seat and told Han, "I thought you knew this person."

Chewbacca suddenly let out a low bark, as though offering a reason why the Wing Guard might be so hostile. This was affirmed by Han Solo's answer: "Well, that was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that."

Sora and Kairi glanced at each other warily, but they had time to do little else before the cloud car pilot suddenly declared, "_Permission granted to land on Platform 327_."

"Thank you." Han told the pilot before he shut off the _Millennium Falcon_'s comlink. However, judging by Han's facial expression, it was easy to tell that Han had wanted to say something entirely different. Instead of acknowledging that, however, Han only turned to look at the passengers in the rear of the cockpit. "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."

"Who's worried?" Leia retorted, though her fingernails were digging firmly into the arms of her seat.

The two cloud cars followed the _Millennium Falcon_ all the way to its destination. Platform 327 turned out to be a large, circular platform on one of the upper levels of Cloud City; a walkway extended between the platform and one of the city's monolithic skyscrapers. The _Millennium Falcon_ touched down gently upon the platform, and the cloud cars finally saw fit to leave.

Han Solo was the first to exit the _Falcon_ when its landing ramp lowered, and he was immediately followed by Chewbacca and Princess Leia. Sora and Kairi emerged next, both looking around the platform cautiously. Something about this place just felt very _off_, though neither the Keyblade Master nor the princess of Heart could quite identify what it could be. C-3PO came out last, also very cautious, but that was to be expected from the golden protocol droid.

The six companions now cast their gazes across the walkway and to a rectangular door on the far side. The door was shut, and it gave no sign of opening anytime soon.

"Oh," C-3PO stated, sounding a bit disappointed, "no one to meet us."

The six companions waited in silence after that, still watching and still waiting for the door to open. Alas, as the seconds ticked on, the only sound was the noise of the warm Bespin wind as it whistled across the cityscape.

After a while, Princess Leia decided that she had to break the silence. "I don't like this."

"Well, what _would_ you like?" Han retorted. That made Leia shut her mouth. It had been a bit of an obvious statement, she realized. Though no one else was going to say it, she could see it in their eyes and in their postures. _No one_ liked this.

Surprisingly, it was C-3PO who decided to play the optimist here. "Well, they _did_ let us land."

Han Solo turned to Leia again, and perhaps realized that his previous comeback had been a bit harsh. He now looked into her eyes and said comfortingly, "Look, don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me."

"Look!" Kairi interjected, her gaze now fixed on the door. "Someone's coming out!"

And indeed, it was true. As the door on the far side of the walkway finally slid open, two silhouetted figures could be seen emerging from within—two men, it seemed, engaged in conversation. "It's about time." Sora muttered, crossing his arms and looking over the two men as they approached. His sharp eyes could now distinguish the figures, and he took careful note of them.

The first man was tall, a dashing and debonair individual with brown skin, wavy black hair, and a thin moustache. This man walked with the bold stride of a confident leader, and his status was marked by the silk-lined blue cape draped about his shoulders. The second man's skin was a pale white, his head devoid of any hair to speak of. A computer bracket was secured around the back of this man's head, concealing his ears (if the man indeed _had_ ears beneath the bracket). And now, it could be seen that six guards in blue uniforms were flanking these two men.

Han Solo immediately recognized the two approaching figures. "See?" he said specifically to Leia. "My friend." Then, as an afterthought, Han stepped toward Chewbacca. "Keep your eyes open, huh?"

Chewbacca growled in acknowledgement as Han made his way across the walkway to meet his "friend." Han smiled warmly as he greeted the two figures. "Hey!"

The caped man stopped about six feet away from Han, fixing him with one of the most singularly angry glares that Sora had ever seen. The man in the cape shook his head as he spat, "You slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."

Han looked stunned. He pointed to himself and mouthed, _Me?_

The caped man stepped closer to Han, not stopping until the two were face to face. Suddenly, the man jabbed at Han's stomach. Han moved to defend himself with his arm, but the jab had been a feint—now, the man seized Han in a warm embrace. From his place on Platform 327, Sora had to smile and shake his head. This caped man _had_ to be Lando Calrissian, and there was obviously no more bad blood between him and Han Solo.

"How ya doin', ya old pirate?" Lando asked Han with a hearty laugh and a winning smile—so winning, in fact, that Kairi even took a moment to compare it to _Sora's_ trademark grin. However, she took note that Sora's grin was always honest, brimming with warmth. Lando Calrissian's smile, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit insincere. Lando's smile seemed meant to charm rather than to express emotion.

Kairi ultimately decided that Sora's grin was still the best in all the worlds.

The bald man with the computer bracket (whose name happened to be Lobot) decided that the situation was under control. He whipped around and pointed back to the door, making his exit along with the six uniformed guards.

Lando had finally released Han from his embrace and now held him at arm's length. "So good to see ya! I never thought I'd catch up with you again. Where you been?"

C-3PO observed this display along with the others still on Platform 327. "Well," the droid observed, "he seems very friendly."

"Yes," Leia nodded, "_very _friendly."

Leia followed close to C-3PO as he scuttled closer to the walkway. Sora and Kairi followed, albeit a bit behind the others. Sora leaned close to Kairi and whispered in her ear, "Keep your eyes open, Kai. There's something really _off_ here."

"I feel it too." Kairi acknowledged him with a nod. "I think it's coming from Lando. Have you noticed he's a little bit _too_ friendly?"

Sora inclined his head. "Yeah. We better stick together."

Kairi smiled up at Sora, her indigo eyes sparkling in a delightful contrast with Bespin's red atmosphere. "Do you even have to ask?"

Sora returned the smile before both he and Kairi turned their attention back to Han and Lando. "What are you doing here?" Lando asked his friend, that smile of his still playing about his face.

"Ahh… repairs." Han told him, indicating the _Millennium Falcon_. "I thought you could help me out."

Lando Calrissian's attitude suddenly changed, and his smile vanished. "What have you done to my ship?"

"_Your_ ship?" Han repeated. "Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square."

Lando's smile returned in full force, and his gaze wandered to the Wookiee who still stood diligently on the platform. "And how are you doing, Chewbacca? You still hanging around with this loser?"

Chewbacca acknowledged Lando with a low growl. That officially settled it in the minds of Sora and Kairi. If _Chewbacca_, who knew Lando almost as well as Han himself, did not trust Lando, then something was definitely amiss.

Lando next took notice of Sora and Kairi, who stood just to the side of the Wookiee. Lando looked directly at Kairi, hardly acknowledging Sora's presence as he said, "Well, it looks like Han made a couple of friends. What might your name be?"

Kairi caught the subtleties behind Lando Calrissian's stare, and she unconsciously inched toward Sora as she issued her response "I'm Kairi. This is my husband Sora."

Sora caught the emphasis that Kairi had laced on the word _husband_, and he was glad of it. Lando Calrissian's smile and mannerisms had _womanizer_ written all over them, and the last thing Sora needed was someone—particularly someone with trustworthiness as dubious as Lando's—ogling his wife (who, might he add, was _pregnant_, though something in his heart made him decide not to share this news with Lando).

Lando Calrissian also got the message, and left Sora and Kairi with a final flash of his unusually charming smile. That was when Lando caught sight of Princess Leia. He approached Leia with two more confident strides, looking into her eyes in the same manner as he had done with Kairi. However, Lando had at least been courteous enough to change his pitch at least a little before selecting the princess as a target. "Welcome." Lando told Leia, his smile now on the borderline of cheesy. "I'm Lando Calrissian; I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

"Leia." the princess replied bluntly. She seemed to be well aware of what Lando was doing, and she had not been so blind as to ignore Calrissian's initial approach toward Kairi.

Lando either did not notice Leia's hesitance or did not care. He bowed humbly—a bit _too_ humbly—as he reiterated, "Welcome, Leia." Lando then proceeded to take Leia's gloved hand, cup it in his own, and kiss it.

Han Solo caught sight of this and quickly decided to put an end to it. "All right, all right, you old smoothie." Han addressed his "friend," taking Leia by the hand and steering her away from Lando.

Lando's hand was left empty, but it did not remain so for long. C-3PO immediately approached the baron-administrator of Bespin and took him by the hand. "Hello, sir. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. My facilities are at your—"

C-3PO was cut off as Lando released the droid's hand and set off after Han and Leia, who were already entering the building at the opposite end of the walkway. "Well, _really_!" C-3PO huffed. After a moment, he realized that Chewbacca was also headed toward the building, and the protocol droid scuttled after him.

Sora and Kairi took one last look at each other. Sora turned to Kairi and grinned, bowing low and gesturing toward the door. "After you, Your Highness."

Kairi giggled, recognizing the gesture for what it was. Sora was, in his own subtle way, making fun of Lando. "Why, thank you." she replied with a smile as Sora took her by the hand and led her into the building. Sometimes, Kairi reflected, it was the little things like this that really made being married to the Keyblade Master worthwhile. Although Sora's status was the reason why she was here, trillions of light-years from home despite the child developing in her womb, Kairi could think of nowhere she would rather be. As long as Sora was here beside her, she was home.

That thought alone was enough to give her courage as she followed the others into the building, not quite knowing what to expect from Han Solo's so-called "friend."

Still, she could not deny the cold dread that ate at her insides. When they _did_ learn what Lando was hiding, Kairi realized, it would probably be too late.

* * *

**A/N: There it is, another wubulous chapter. I might be a bit overly critical of myself, but I thought this chapter was a little choppy. I don't know how to fix it, though, so this will have to do.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! We need only thirty-six more to reach our goal, and I have complete faith that we can achieve it (possibly before even Episode V ends). Thank you for all your lovely support and, in some cases, your constructive criticism. How well I apply it has yet to be seen, but I assure you that I am doing my best.**

**This is my first update in the month of May, and you know what that means! Yes, my profile has a new Quote of the Month! Go and look it up if you're into that sort of thing.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	9. The Trap

**A/N: Here I am, back a little earlier than usual. I was excited about this chapter and the ones that will follow, so I'll probably be churning them out a little faster. So go ahead, read on.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Trap**

Sora kept his left arm firmly secured around Kairi's shoulders as the six companions accompanied Lando Calrissian inside the large building attached to Platform 327. Sora's right hand was free at the moment, though it was tense and the fingers would occasionally twitch, ready to summon the keyblade at a moment's notice. Kairi could understand why—she too could feel the great amount of darkness in this very building, though she could not quite place its source. Lando Calrissian's heart was obviously not full of light, but he was not the source of darkness quite so great. She wondered what it could be, and how much of a threat it posed to her child. As she pondered on this, she was suddenly very grateful for Sora's strong arm around her.

The interior of the skyscraper in which they now stood, however, did nothing to reflect this darkness. Quite the opposite, in fact—the rooms were mostly white in color, the décor simple yet tasteful, conservative yet elegant. Everything appeared to be in good order, and there was an almost unnatural level of calm about the place. As Kairi took all this in, she also began to listen to the discussion between Han and Lando. The two friends quickly made arrangements for the _Millennium Falcon_'s repairs, and then their conversation slowly turned to idle small talk.

"How's the gas mine?" Han asked Lando. "Is it still paying off for you?"

"Oh, not as well as I'd like." Lando answered with a bit of a shrug. "We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. And I've had supply problems of every kind. I've had labor difficulties—"

Lando was suddenly cut off by a chuckle from Han Solo. "What's so funny?" Lando questioned, surprised to see Han thinking these problems to so be humorous.

'You." Han replied with a wide grin. "Listen to you—you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thought that, huh?"

Lando grinned at Han. "You know, seeing you brings back a few memories."

"Yeah." Han nodded. He cast a glance to Princess Leia, hoping to be reassuring to her. He sent a similar, shorter glance toward Sora and Kairi, who seemed _far_ too paranoid, in Han's opinion. _Then again_, Han reminded himself, _they've seen a lot o' crazy stuff. I'd probably be that way too._

"Yeah," Lando repeated, echoing Han's statement, "I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful."

This finally got Sora and Kairi to temporarily let down their guards. Kairi even allowed herself to smile as she looked up at Sora. "So I guess you're the exception, huh?"

"Aww, come on, Kai!" Sora contended. "I'm at least a _little_ responsible."

Kairi's smile turned into a bit of a smirk. "Okay," she admitted, "a little."

Lando Calrissian had listened to this banter, and his winning smile again spreading across his features. "Yeah, you two are definitely married." he observed. "So, you got a family going yet?"

Sora and Kairi both had to fight the urge to stop dead in their tracks. "What do you mean?" Kairi asked as innocently as she could force herself to sound, hoping that she sounded more sincere to Lando than she did to herself.

Fortunately. she did. "You know." Lando prompted, his smile widening. "Kids! You got any Sora or Kairi Juniors floatin' around somewhere?"

Whether because their hearts were bound to each other as strongly as they were, or simply because they were both concerned about their baby's safety, Sora and Kairi did not even have to look at each other before coming to an agreement. They did not trust Lando with the knowledge of Kairi's pregnancy, and they decided to keep that piece of information a secret.

It was Sora who answered Lando's question. "No, no kids yet."

Lando somehow looked doubtful. "I see…" he said, though something in his eyes told Sora and Kairi otherwise.

"But we _are_ talking about it, right Sora?" Kairi added, hoping to make the lie a bit more believable.

Sora nodded. "Oh yeah, of _course_ we're talking about it. I mean, we _want_ kids, but we're trying to make sure we have all our little ducks in a row first."

"But Sora," C-3PO pointed out immediately, "did you not say that—"

Sora cut the protocol droid off before he could reveal the truth. "Yeah, we _did_ say we were definitely gonna have kids, but right now we're just not sure."

C-3PO was far too confused by this irrational organic behavior to even offer a retort. Han, Leia, and Chewbacca also took the hint. For whatever reason, Sora and Kairi wanted to keep Kairi's pregnancy a secret. They would respect that decision, though Han Solo wasn't quite sure _why_.

"Well," Lando offered, his bright smile still glistening in the equally bright lights of the corridor in which they now walked, "I think you should. I've been wanting to have a couple myself, but it's difficult when you're an unmarried man in an isolated little community."

"Understandable." Kairi nodded, her unease managing to sneak its way into her voice. Something about the way Lando spoke… the way he _smiled_…. it put her on edge. He acted as though he _knew_ Kairi was pregnant, and was now smug in his knowledge of that secret. But how could that be? Sora and Kairi had done nothing to reveal the existence of their child, and the only others who could have told Lando were all accounted for. _Weren't_ _they_?

Kairi shot another look at Sora, and noticed that he too was unsettled by Lando's behavior. Still, she knew that Sora was doing his best not to show it. He was doing remarkably well, Kairi thought—even _she_ only realized how tense Sora was because of his grip on her shoulders, which had suddenly tightened.

Still, there was naught for the couple to do but maintain their façade of innocence and trust, at least until Lando saw fit to leave them alone for a moment.

At the rear of the group, C-3PO was also deep in thought (of course, the term "thought" is used loosely—though it was arguable that C-3PO had achieved true sentience, the many processors housed within his cranial case did not _think_ in the same manner that living beings did). Why had Sora and Kairi not told Lando about their unborn child? Had they forgotten? Humans _did_ have a tendency to forget things, but surely Sora and Kairi would have remembered something as important as a baby. And if they _had_ forgotten, why would they have prevented C-3PO from reminding them?

No, C-3PO realized, they had not forgotten. They were _lying_, though the protocol droid could not at all imagine why. Lando Calrissian seemed to be a rather likeable fellow, at least to C-3PO's way of thinking. What could possibly be the problem?

C-3PO did not have long to dwell upon it, for at that moment, a door on the corridor wall began to slide open. Beyond it, a silver-plated protocol droid apparently of the same model as C-3PO was revealed.

"Oh!" C-3PO exclaimed upon seeing this new droid. "Nice to see a familiar face."

The silver protocol droid, however, did not look happy to see C-3PO. "_E chu ta!_" it muttered, which was an insult in the language called Huttese.

C-3PO, fluent as he was in over six million forms of communication, easily recognized the insult. "How rude!" he huffed as the protocol droid turned and walked away. C-3PO was about to rejoin his friends, who had moved further along the main corridor, but he suddenly heard a beeping noise from within this new side passage. C-3PO had been programmed with a small degree of human curiosity, and as such the golden protocol droid couldn't help but wander through the side door in order to investigate the noise.

As C-3PO followed the side passage, he noticed that the white walls and floors of the main corridor had now given way to walls covered in pipes, gauges, and other assorted apparatus. "Hello?" C-3PO called, hoping to find that a friendly person was making the beeping noise. "Hello?"

C-3PO's calls still received no answer. "How interesting." the golden protocol droid observed.

"Who are you?" a gruff, harsh voice suddenly barked from the far side of the chamber.

A very frightened and very vulnerable C-3PO turned to face the owner of the voice. As soon as he did so, however, he immediately wished he hadn't. In fact, he wished that he'd never entered this room. And while he was about it, he might as well have wished that he hadn't allowed that silly beeping noise to so captivate his attention in the first place.

C-3PO's self-preservation routines were beginning to initiate, and they were much like the same natural mechanisms in most humans. He panicked, raising his arms in surrender and backing away. "Who am I?" he repeated, his mechanical body trembling. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I—I didn't mean to intrude."

C-3PO's automatic panic now progressed into horror as his self-preservation drives began to work harder. "No, no, _please_ don't get up! _No_!"

A single blaster shot rang out, and C-3PO's torso clattered to the floor. His head rolled away in a different direction, and the rest of him scattered in all directions. His smoking, smoldering foot went skidding across the floor before coming to a halt mere inches from the door that C-3PO had so foolishly entered in the first place. This same door now slid shut just before a pair of very hairy feet stopped in front of it.

Chewbacca had been at the rear of the procession of companions as Lando had led them down the corridor, making him the most likely to notice C-3PO's disappearance. In fact, the Wookiee _had_ noticed, and was now retracing his steps in an attempt to find the protocol droid. As he neared the door, Chewbacca could not help but notice the strong stench of smoke, most likely from a recently fired blaster. A _very_ recently fired blaster, if Chewbacca's nose still served him.

This didn't add up. Lando Calrissian was acting strangely, C-3PO had turned up missing, and now Chewbacca's nostrils were being invaded by the smoke of blaster fire. However, neither C-3PO nor the incriminating blaster was anywhere to be seen, so Chewbacca was forced to give up the search and rejoin his other friends before they too turned up missing.

Though Chewbacca's vocal structure prevented him from saying it out loud, the Wookiee most certainly _thought_ the statement that he'd heard his friends use so many times.

He had a _bad_ feeling about this.

* * *

On the planet Dagobah, night had finally fallen upon the hemisphere in which Yoda's hut was located. As such, Luke Skywalker and his allies were bathed in darkness and starlight as Luke set about preparing his X-wing fighter for takeoff. R2-D2 was nestled comfortably in the socket of the X-wing designed to house an astromech droid; the rest of the companions were standing around the X-wing. King Mickey watched Luke's preparations with a smile on his face. He was glad that Skywalker had chosen to aid his friends—it was exactly what the mouse king himself would have done. Destroy all for which they have fought and suffered? Mickey doubted _that_. Helping others should always come before asking others for help, as Mickey had often said, and that meant that Luke had an obligation to aid his friends before asking Yoda to finish training him. Luke had made the right choice, Mickey believed.

Yoda, on the other hand, did not believe that.

"Luke!" Yoda insisted from his perch atop a small knoll. "You must complete the training."

"I can't keep the vision out of my head." Luke contended. "They're my friends. I've _got_ to help them."

"You must not go!" Yoda asserted.

"But Han and Leia will die if I don't." Luke argued. He shot a glance to Mickey, then added, "And Sora won't be enough to protect them."

"_You don't know that_."

Everyone was surprised to hear Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice, which they had not heard since Yoda had first revealed his identity. The companions were even _more_ shocked to see the blue-tinted, luminous form that appeared to accompany the voice. This was Obi-Wan Kenobi, now one with the Force and yet still able to retain his consciousness. Obi-Wan did not look at all like he had during the Battle of Naboo, but everyone (save Taran) knew the old Jedi immediately. Had he been alive, his parted hair and short beard would have been white; he wore a brown cloak over plain, cream-colored Jedi tunic—the classic uniform of the Jedi. Obi-Wan Kenobi's translucent face wore a grave expression as the deceased Jedi approached. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate." said he.

Luke was not about to change his mind so easily, not even for the sake of his old mentor. "But I can help them!" he declared. "I feel the Force!"

"But you cannot control it." Obi-Wan pointed out. "This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force."

Yoda nodded vigorously (or about as vigorously as the ancient Jedi Grand Master _could _nod) . He was glad to _finally_ have a fellow Jedi instructing Luke. King Mickey and the Keybearers were, to Yoda's mind, _backwards_ in their philosophy; advice from them would only turn Luke away from the Jedi path. "Yes, yes! To Obi-Wan you listen. The _cave_! Remember your failure at the _cave_!"

Riku had to hold back a snort of disapproval. _Luke_ _failed at the cave? _the silver-haired Keyblade Master reflected. _Did _he_ pass out and have to be dragged out by King Mickey? I don't think so! If anybody failed at that cave, it was _me, _not Luke_.

Luke did not take this into consideration as he gave his reply—instead, he offered an entirely different argument. "But I've learned so much since then, Master Yoda. I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."

Though King Mickey and his friends thought this to be a good answer, Obi-Wan and Yoda did not. Ob-Wan pointed out, "It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants; that is why your friends are made to suffer."

"That's why I have to go." Luke reasoned. King Mickey and his friends began to smile as Yoda's and Obi-Wan's frowns began to deepen. Despite the connotations that might be associated with this gesture, they did not do so out of any spite for the Jedi—rather, they simply liked all the answers that the Jedi didn't.

"Luke," Obi-Wan still persisted, "I don't want to lose you the way I lost Vader."

King Mickey thought back for a moment, remembering a conversation he and his allies had shared with Yoda and Luke after learning of Yoda's identity. Yoda had said that Darth Vader had once been a pupil of Obi-Wan, and one of the most promising of all… before he'd fallen to the dark side and brutally murdered Anakin Skywalker. Mickey couldn't help but wonder what could _possibly _tempt Luke to join with the same monster that had killed Luke's own _father_.

"You won't." Luke told Obi-Wan firmly, and he meant it. He vowed in his heart to _never_ join Darth Vader, to never have anything to _do_ with that sick abomination of the dark side. He promised to _destroy_ Darth Vader and the dark, twisted emperor that held Vader's leash, with or without help from the Jedi or the Keybearers.

Yoda _did _seem to agree with Luke's desired end, but the diminutive Jedi did not accept the means. "Stopped they must be. On this, all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally will conquer Darth Vader and his Emperor."

Luke only returned to loading supply boxes aboard his X-wing, no longer in the mood for argument.

Yoda tried again. "If you end your training now—if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did—you will become an agent of evil."

"Patience." was all Obi-Wan Kenobi could add, though the word carried behind it the weight of the entire galaxy.

Luke Skywalker shrugged off this weight without hesitation. "And sacrifice Han and Leia?" he snapped, now downright _angry_ at the Jedi for forcing to choose between his training and his friends.

"If you honor what they fight for," Yoda returned just as harshly, "_yes_!"

King Mickey could not take it any longer. He had prohibited any of his friends from interfering with Luke's training, but he could not stand idly by while Yoda and Obi-Wan forced Luke to make this unnecessary choice. "That's not true!" the lord of Disney Castle interjected, stepping forward. He made a point of ignoring Yoda and Obi-Wan as he spoke to Luke. "You don't gotta choose between helping your friends and doing what's right. If you looked inside your heart, you'd see helping your friends _is_ right. Goin' after your pals won't turn you to the dark side, as long as you remember what's important."

"You should be mindful of your feelings, Luke." Obi-Wan countered. "They can betray you."

"Mine never have." King Mickey argued, keeping his eyes focused on the young and conflicted Jedi-in-training. "I've been around a lot longer than most folks, and my heart's _never_ let me down. Ya just gotta believe in yourself."

"A Jedi trusts in the _Force_." Yoda grunted, shooting Mickey a scrutinizing glare. "To speak of turning inwards… of trusting only in _yourself_… the creed of the _Sith_, that is."

This time, King Mickey turned to face Yoda and Obi-Wan directly. "The Sith follow the _darkness_ in their hearts. They get so full o' themselves that they forget to care about _others_. The Jedi are so scared o' their darkness that they don't listen to their hearts _at all_. But trusting yourself to do the _right_ thing, to follow that little bit o' light inside your heart, is _never_ wrong. Luke's goin' to save his friends because it's the _right thing_."

The two Jedi Masters could offer no argument for that.

At last, Obi-Wan Kenobi resigned himself to Luke's decision and King Mickey's advice. "King Mickey," he said, "though I have not seen you for over three and a half decades, you have not changed. You are still as wise and unyielding as ever. I must submit to your logic, for I have no better answer. Well done, my friend."

King Mickey smiled warmly as Obi-Wan turned to face Luke. "If you choose to face Vader," he warned, "you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."

Luke acknowledged Obi-Wan with a slight nod. "I understand." Then, without another word, Luke climbed up to the cockpit of his X-wing fighter and secured himself inside the still open cockpit. "Artoo," he addressed the astromech droid still secure inside the X-wing, "fire up the converters."

As the engines of the X-wing began to warm up, Obi-Wan called one final piece of advice to Luke. "Luke, don't give in to hate; that leads to the dark side."

"Strong is Vader." Yoda added. "Mind what you have learned! Save you it can!"

"I will." Luke assured the pair before the X-wing's cockpit finally sealed shut. The X-wing fighter lifted off from the murky ground of the Dagobah marshlands and soared into the sky.

As everyone watched Luke go, Obi-Wan Kenobi's spectral image faded back into the Force. Yoda sighed and shook his head. "Told you, I did. Reckless is he. Now matters are worse."

"If helping your friends is reckless," Mickey stated, "then _everybody_ should be like that."

Yoda shot a disapproving glare at Mickey. "With you, a _long _discussion will I have."

Though Obi-Wan's luminous form had vanished, his voice still remained. "_That boy is our last hope_." he pointed out, hoping to turn the conversation away from the feud between Yoda and Mickey.

"No." Yoda replied, staring back up into the night sky. "There is another."

* * *

On Cloud City, Kairi hugged herself as she gazed out of a massive window. Lando Calrissian had provided her and Sora with an otherwise unoccupied living quarters in which to dwell while on the planet Bespin. Han Solo and Princess Leia were in an adjacent room, but Chewbacca and C-3PO seemed to have wandered off. It had been decided that when they returned, they would room with Han and Leia. Sora and Kairi's room would remain their own.

It seemed to Kairi that Lando was trying to make up for having so shamelessly hit on her.

The room in which Kairi now stood was quite cozy—the walls and furniture were all spotlessly white and just as clean; a skylight dominated the center of the roof, illuminating the entire chamber. The furnishings were all warm and comfortable, and it seemed that Lando had spared no expense in accommodating these guest rooms.

Kairi _hated_ the place.

Her extreme dislike of the guest room was not any fault of the architect or interior designer—in fact, under any other circumstances, this would have been a very nice place in which to stay. But there seemed to be a darkness in Cloud city, some secret shadow that lurked beneath the whiteness of the walls and the spotlessness of the furnishing. Lando was _hiding_ something, and it seemed to Kairi that he was taking great care to convince his new guests otherwise.

Sora finally joined his wife in front of the window, having just risen from one of the plush white couches that encircled the room. "What's wrong?" he asked, gingerly stroking Kairi's cheek as he turned her face toward him. "You've not moved from that spot since Lando left. Something's up."

"Yes it is." Kairi affirmed. "Threepio's been gone for a long time, and now _Chewbacca_'s missing."

"You think Lando's behind it?" Sora asked. "Kinda unlikely, don't you think?"

"Why wouldn't he be behind it? _I_ don't trust him, and neither do you. Did you notice the way he looked at us when he asked if we had kids? It's like he already _knew_—besides, that kind of question doesn't just pop up randomly in the middle of a conversation like that. He's judging us, Sora… he's trying to see how much we trust him."

Sora nodded. "I know. That's why I _don't_ think he did anything to Threepio. If he's trying to get us to trust him, he wouldn't turn around and start picking off our friends right off the bat. He'd wait until we _did_ trust him."

One look into Kairi's eyes told Sora that C-3PO wasn't Kairi's main concern at the time. "But Sora, what if he _does_ know I'm pregnant? What's gonna happen to us… what's gonna happen to the _baby_?"

Sora continued to look into Kairi's eyes, and he saw reflected in them more worry and doubt than he had ever even _imagined_ seeing there. Beautiful indigo eyes that had but yesterday reflected the pure joy and laughter of impending parenthood were now filled only with sadness and fear. The special bond that Sora's heart shared with Kairi's allowed him to feel all this pain as palpably as his own, adding to his own doubts and suspicions about Cloud City. Though it did not reflect in any way as far as outward appearance was concerned, something definitely was _just not right_.

Yet, through all this pain and emotional turmoil that Sora could detect in Kairi's eyes and heart, he also saw there a single, burning desire. She wanted Sora to hold her. She wanted to enter the sweet sanctuary of his arms, the only place she ever felt truly and completely safe. All Kairi wanted—all she _needed_—was for her husband to embrace her and tell her that everything would be all right.

Kairi didn't even have to ask for that.

"Kairi," Sora whispered into her ear as he took her in his arms, "_nothing's_ gonna happen to us… not to you, not to the baby. No matter _what_ Lando's doing. You know there's never been anything I couldn't save you from. I'm not gonna _lose_ you, Kairi. _Either_ of you."

Kairi could only nod into Sora's chest. She was not crying, though Sora could definitely hear the beginnings of a sob in her voice as she answered, "I know. But all those times I've been in trouble—all those times you saved me—I always knew what was going on. I always knew who it was you were gonna save me from. But now… I don't have any _idea_ what's going on. And my life isn't the only one in danger anymore. I'm just so _scared_."

A grim smile spread across Sora's face. "You know something? _I'm_ pretty scared too."

Sora could think of nothing else to say, so he opted instead to gently caress Kairi's back and shoulders, as he had always done whenever she had been upset. But this was far beyond simply being _upset_. This was a feeling of _mortal terror_, a state of anxious panic that came with the knowledge that they had _no idea_ what to expect. They had no way of knowing who was friend and who was foe, and the shadow of absolute darkness seemed to smother the entire _planet_. The only light that Sora could sense was right here in this room. He was holding it in his arms; he was rocking it back and forth and trying his best to assure it that all would turn out well in the end.

His _family_—his wife and his unborn child—was the only candle he had left with which to hold back the darkness.

"It'll be okay, Kairi." he whispered, running his hand through her soft, sweet-smelling hair. "I promise."

That was the scene that Lando Calrissian stumbled upon as he entered the guest room: Sora and Kairi holding onto each other, sharing one of the most intimate moments that the administrator of Cloud City had ever seen. "I'm sorry," Lando said as he slowly approached the couple, "am I interrupting something?"

Sora and Kairi abruptly released each other and took two steps in opposite directions, blushing furiously. "No." Kairi offered. "Nothing at all. Sora and I were just… enjoying the peace and quiet."

Lando Calrissian's million-dollar smile flashed brightly; he either accepted this answer, or was doing a remarkable job of hiding his suspicion. "It _is_ magnificent, isn't it?" he told both Sora and Kairi. "You won't find many planets more peaceful than Bespin. Several visitors here tend to get… _swept away_ by the tranquility. Even _I_ did when _I_ first came here."

"So what made you decide to stop by?" Sora asked, trying his best to hide his disdain for Lando's presence. "We figured you'd be pretty busy."

"Nonsense!" Lando assured Sora, his bright smile now resembling a cross between that of a used car salesman and that of a creepy circus clown. "I always have time for my guests." Lando's smile gave way to a more serious expression as he turned to Kairi. "Actually… I was hoping to apologize for my less than honorable behavior toward you on the landing platform, Mrs. Kairi. I shouldn't have advanced on you so shamelessly during our first meeting, especially since you are a married woman. I was hoping to make it up to you… perhaps over a little refreshment?"

Kairi raised a brow at this, and Sora's stare became just a little bit hostile as he processed the implications of this query; Lando, suddenly aware of these implications, quickly amended, "Everyone's invited, of course. In fact, I was just about to get Han and Leia—perhaps you and your husband would like to join me?"

Kairi shot a quick glance to Sora, then nodded. "Sure. We'd love to come."

"Right behind you." Sora added, stepping a bit closer to his spouse.

"Excellent." Lando acknowledged. "If you'll follow me, please."

Lando led Sora and Kairi out of the room, though the royal couple remained about six paces behind Calrissian at all times. "Sora," Kairi whispered, "why did we agree to this again?"

"Because we wanna know what Lando's up to." Sora answered, also speaking in a low whisper. "And besides, he offered us 'refreshment,' and you know I couldn't pass _that_ up."

Kairi smiled and shook her head. "Sora, I honestly don't know what you listen to more: your heart or your stomach."

"Aww, cut me at least a _little_ slack. I haven't had anything to eat since… that party." Sora mentally sighed with relief. He'd almost said _baby shower_, which could have been a fatal mistake with Lando within earshot.

"True." Kairi agreed, and then she felt as though a light bulb had flickered on somewhere in the back of her mind. She hadn't had one of these urges since her last visit to the 7th Heaven, but now another one came over her, a bit more powerful than the last.

_Cravings_.

"Uhhh… Sora…" Kairi said with a bit of uncertainty, "do you think they have any chocolate cake in this galaxy?"

Sora grinned, instantly understanding what was going on. "I wouldn't count on it."

"Crap." was the response. Kairi crossed her arms in a false pout as she said, "I'm in _desperate_ need of chocolate cake."

Sora allowed a chuckle to escape his lips as he wrapped his arm around Kairi's shoulders. "I think you'll make it."

Kairi opened her mouth to respond, but it was at that particular moment that Lando came to a stop in front of a small doorway. A small dinging noise was heard as Lando opened the door and stepped inside this room, extending the same invitation to Han and Leia as he had done for Sora and Kairi. The royal couple had been content to wait outside the room until they suddenly heard Lando ask, "Having trouble with your droid?"

_Droid?_ Sora thought, taking a moment to process what this truly meant. _Threepio's back?_

Sora and Kairi both decided to take a peek inside the room. They saw that Chewbacca had returned from wherever he had gone, though he was now holding a packing case stuffed with golden mechanical parts. It didn't take long for Sora and Kairi to register what _this_ meant.

_What the heck happened to Threepio?_

Unfortunately, no clue was given as to why C-3PO was now crammed into a small box in the lap of a Wookiee. When Lando had asked about the protocol droid, Han Solo had answered with a quick, "No. No problem. Why?"

Lando left the touchy subject alone after that, instead opting to lead Han, Leia, and Chewbacca out of the room (C-3PO—or what was left of him—remained on a couch in the guest room).

As soon as Lando began to proceed down the hallway, Kairi leaned in close to Princess Leia. "What happened to Threepio?" she asked.

"Ugnaughts." Leia responded. "They're small humanoid creatures that make a living out of recycling whatever metal they can get their grubby hands on. Chewbacca found C-3PO and rescued him before he could be melted down."

Sora, who had also heard this, suddenly smiled. "Probably for the best." he said with a glance to Kairi. "I don't think he'd have made a good toaster."

Kairi giggled at this, and even Leia (who had no idea what a toaster was) found herself smiling.

Lando Calrissian must have missed that little conversation. The administrator of Cloud City was now gesturing toward a group of uniformed laborers that happened to be passing by. "So you see," he narrated, "since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the… uhh… _jurisdiction_ of the Empire."

"So you're a part of the mining guild, then?" Leia assumed. It was a logical guess, since most small operations such as this one usually found themselves in the mining guild, if for no other reason than for security measures.

"No, not actually." Lando answered her, leading the party down a side corridor. ""our operation is small enough not to be noticed—which is advantageous for everybody, since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."

"Aren't you afraid the Empire's gonna find out about this little operation and shut you down?" Han queried, sounding a bit suspicious.

"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here." Lando replied, approaching a set of closed doors. This must have been where Lando intended to treat his guests to "refreshment."

"But," Lando went on, "things have developed that will ensure security."

Sora and Kairi, who had only been half paying attention to the conversation, now snapped to attention. They could feel something… like a cold, iron fist was clenching around their very hearts, threatening to crush them in a sudden clench of terror. Something _evil_ was beyond that set of doors. And what Lando had said… what could _possibly _have developed to promote security from the Empire? Sora could thing of only one thing. "Kairi," he said sternly, though his voice was trembling, "I want you to get behind me. Right now."

Kairi wordlessly complied. Sora would not have demanded something of her so bluntly without a _very_ good reason. And she too could feel the dark fist tightening its grip on her heart.

As soon as Kairi was safely behind Sora, the Keyblade Master looked directly at Lando and asked, "What _kind_ of things?"

Lando approached the set of closed doors and responded, "I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever." With this, Lando pressed a button on a nearby control panel and the doors slowly began to slide open.

On the other side of the door was not refreshment, or anything that could possibly be construed as hospitality.

There was only _him_.

_He_ was seated at the far end of a long, narrow table, clad entirely in black body armor. A black cape was draped over his broad shoulders, and there was an array of buttons attached to his black-armored chest. His helmeted head watched the group coldly as they entered, and a low, deep breathing sound was constantly resounding from the haunting grillwork of his mask.

For a moment, Sora froze. Of everyone gathered in this room, this forbidden room beyond a set of doors that had once been closed, only Sora had never seen _him_ before, but he was not at any disadvantage. Though he had never seen this powerful figure before, though he had never gazed upon the helmeted head or beheld the dark flowing cape, though he had never heard the chilling, monstrous sound of this figure's every breath, he instantly knew this man—this monster—for what he was.

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, had been waiting here for them.

Han Solo and Sora stood side by side in the doorway of the room. Han quickly drew his blaster pistol from his belt and fired a shot at Darth Vader, but the Sith Lord only raised his hand to deflect the shot. Han fired off three more well-aimed blaster bolts, but none were any more effective than the first at stopping Lord Vader. At last, after deflecting that third shot, the Sith Lord reached out with the Force and tore the blaster from Han Solo's hand, allowing it to fly into his own awaiting grip.

During that time, Sora had summoned his keyblade and had taken his first step toward Vader, but Darth Vader only set the blaster pistol on the table. Without moving another muscle, without even turning his gaze form Sora, Vader reached out with the Force. Sora took his second step, his third…

He froze. He suddenly found that he could not breathe. He quickly dismissed his keyblade to bring his hands to his throat, but there was nothing there for him to struggle against. Sora's feet left the floor, and it felt to Sora as though he were hanging from some unseen gallows. At last, Sora felt the unseen noose around his neck disappear, and he fell to his knees with an audible _thud_. He still clutched his neck and gasped for air, wondering how in the worlds he was supposed to face an enemy that could do _that_ to him.

Darth Vader's voice remained as calm and as cruel as ever as he said, "We would be honored if you would join us."

Kairi had to clasp a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. There her husband was, on his knees gasping for breath, and Vader hadn't even _moved_. Even as Sora began to rise to his feet again, it was impossible for Kairi to celebrate. A second armored figure emerged from a small alcove behind Vader, though this man's armor was quite different from the Sith Lord's. This man had a blaster rifle in hand, which he clutched to his chest as he stepped beside Darth Vader.

Now, as Kairi's gaze repeatedly shifted between Sora and Darth Vader, she began to hear the heavy footsteps of white-armored Imperial Stormtroopers as they formed up behind the group, their own blaster rifles in hand. An unarmed Lobot, Lando's cyborg aide, stood to the side of the Stormtroopers, affirming the depth of Lando Calrissian's treachery.

He had been planning this from the beginning.

Lando Calrissian looked at each of the victims of his betrayal in turn. "I had no choice." he said, as though that alone would be enough to justify his actions. "They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry."

_Sorry_? Even as Sora stood before Darth Vader, still catching the last of his breath from when the Sith Lord had strangled it out of him, he felt rage festering within his heart. _Sorry_ was not enough to exonerate a traitor. _Sorry_ would not save them from the Empire. _Sorry_ would not spare Sora's _pregnant wife_ from whatever tortures the Empire could devise.

_Sorry_ only seemed to make Sora even more outraged at Lando, though he could not speak. He might have said something unbecoming of a Keyblade Master.

"I'm sorry too." Han Solo stated, though the emotions behind this declaration were not evident in Han's face or voice. He took Leia's arm and proceeded further into the room—the only place left for him to go. Chewbacca also came forward, and Kairi pushed past all of them in order to reach Sora. In the presence of the Dark Lord of the Sith and his agents, Kairi could do nothing more than slide her hand into Sora's. But even the simple gesture of holding hands was enough to give Kairi courage… enough courage to look Darth Vader himself in the face without fear.

Darth Vader was not moved by this display. The fear would come later, and in great quantities.

Vader could feel the beginning of that fear begin to spread among the five companions as the set of doors slid shut.

* * *

**A/N: The end! Of this chapter, at least. I had been excited about getting to that part at the end, and I'm even more eager to get the next chapter typed up. I do hope you enjoyed.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! We have officially hit the seventy-five review benchmark, which means only twenty-five more reviews to go! I have complete confidence that we can reach our goal.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	10. The Inquisition

**A/N: Hi, it's me again. Sorry I took so long, but my inspiration has been prematurely transferred into the two volumes I have planned _after_ this story. It took me a while to get back on track, and I still don't know how well this chapter turned out.**

**If you will notice, the lines indicating scene transition look a bit different. That is because I am having trouble with FF's usual line function, so I'm making my lines like this. Okay? Good. Read on, if you please.**

**________________________________________________________________________________________**

**Chapter 10: The Inquisition**

Chewbacca was in anguish.

The Wookiee was, like all of his friends who had been captured by the Empire, in an Imperial prison cell. Chewbacca's cell, however, was equipped with something made especially for him: a sonic emitter that issued forth a continuous, high-pitched noise. The din was too much for Chewbacca's sensitive ears to handle, and the Wookiee covered his ears in a vain attempt to stop the pain that assaulted his eardrums. He paced about in his cell, howling and flailing, but still the siren wailed on. He growled louder, grabbing the bars and tugging on them for all he was worth. But still the siren blared, on and on, until the poor Wookiee thought that he would go either deaf or mad—whichever came first. Chewbacca growled in protest as the wails screeched on.

Suddenly, the noise ceased.

Chewbacca shook his head and a low moan issued from his downtrodden mouth. Weary from the pain, unable to think clearly after such long exposure to such dreadful clamor, he sat upon the lone bench inside the cell. However, Chewbacca noticed something very odd here, something that he had not noticed with the sirens blaring.

The box containing C-3PO's parts now sat at one end of the bench, not at all where the Wookiee remembered leaving it. Who had taken it from Han and Leia's living quarters to this particular cell? It didn't make any sense—the Stormtroopers should have melted C-3PO down immediately upon discovering him.

Chewbacca didn't care at the moment. He was just glad to have something to occupy his time with that _didn't_ involve enduring the torment of the siren. He reached for C-3PO's head and looked it over for a moment, resolving to do what he could for the protocol droid (which was not much at the time, without any tools with which to work). Still, Chewbacca decided, every little bit would help.

Chewbacca next reached for C-3PO's torso, which he proceeded to place upon his hairy lap. Chewbacca considered C-3PO's head again, and was pleased to discover that the droid's neck ring was not broken. This allowed Chewbacca to reattach the head to the shoulders, after which he began to tinker with the wires and circuits.

Chewbacca fiddled with C-3PO's internal apparatus for a few moments, occasionally prompting the droid's eyes to light up and then shut off again. At last, Chewbacca managed to get C-3PO's eyes working properly again, which also began to get his mouth going. C-3PO's voice still fluctuated between various tones and pitches, making it difficult to understand him, though Chewbacca could make out small bits—C-3PO must have been replaying his last words before getting shot. Then C-3PO's eyes went out, and the droid fell into silence.

Chewbacca jostled another wire. C-3PO's eyes illuminated once more, and this time the droid spoke quite coherently. "Stormtroopers?" he questioned, as though to himself. "Here? We're in danger! I must tell the others!" C-3PO tried to move, but it was then that he became aware of the gravity of the situation. "Oh no! I've been shot!"

Chewbacca heaved a mental sigh. This was going to take a while.

**________________________________________________________________________________________**

Sora's situation was a good deal different than Chewbacca's, but that did not make it more bearable.

Sora had been locked inside a private cell, away from all the other Imperial hostages. That had been the first part of the tortures the Empire would bestow upon him: separation from all his allies. From his _family_. Sora remembered the look on Kairi's face as the Stormtroopers had forcefully torn her from his arms. He _had_ to remember—it would be etched into his brain for the rest of his life. He _hated_ the Empire for that. He wanted _revenge_, but at the moment, he was powerless to act on this impulse.

Sora stood inside his rather spacious cell, his hands bound behind his back. Upon entering this cell, one of the Stormtroopers had injected him with some sort of chemical, but Sora hadn't the slightest idea of what the chemical's purpose could be—he felt no ill effects thus far. His body was still strong and his mind was still sharp, and the function of the mysterious chemical remained unknown.

The second apsect of Sora's torture was to make him completely powerless to save himself. He _could_ have summoned his keyblade to free himself from his bonds, were it not for the two Stormtroopers who stood in the room with him, their blaster rifles aimed directly at the Keyblade Master's head. But these were not just any Stormtroopers: these were two soldiers of the 501st Legion, the personal guard of Darth Vader himself. Even in the split second it would have taken Sora to call his blade to his hand and free himself, it would have given these well-trained Stormtroopers ample time to squeeze the triggers of their blasters and bring Sora's life to a messy end. Sora had many reasons for not taking that risk, and thus allowed himself to remain a captive… for now.

As Sora looked around, surveying his surroundings, he noticed something rather peculiar: there were no instruments of torture in this room. Surely Darth Vader didn't intend to just have him _sit there_, doing absolutely _nothing_. While having the barrels of two large blaster rifles _was_ enough to keep Sora from escaping, it would not be enough to break the Keyblade Master's spirit in the way that Darth Vader surely wanted.

Suddenly, the door to Sora's cell swooshed open. Sora looked to see who might be emerging from beyond the door, but he immediately wished that he hadn't. It was in that one moment of curiosity that Sora came to a sick realization. The Empire didn't _need_ torture devices. It didn't _need_ any tools of pain and death in order to break the minds and bodies of its victims. The Empire needed none of these things, because the Empire had... _him_. _He_ strode into Sora's cell with slow, heavy steps, which echoed throughout the chamber along with his ever-present _breathing_.

_He_ was Darth Vader, and _he_ was the most effective engine of destruction that the Empire could ever employ.

Darth Vader wasted no breath on formality or etiquette as he strode to the center of the holding cell. The two Stormtroopers flanking Sora now parted for their lord to pass between them, but their aim never strayed from Sora's head. Darth Vader continued walking until he was a mere two feet in front of Sora, his imposing stature causing him to look down upon his captive.

Sora's cerulean eyes, usually sparkling with warmth and emotion, now grew cold and hard as they stared up into the black lenses of Darth Vader's helmet. "Sora," the Dark Lord of the Sith stated with his usual frigidity, "I had once thought you to be a powerful warrior. Your apparent weakness now disappoints me."

"Well, you're no prize yourself, Buckethead." Sora mocked. His words were bold, but his voice maintained an edge that betrayed his inner fear of the Sith Lord.

Darth Vader did not acknowledge the insult. He looked to both of his Stormtrooper guards in turn and said, "You are now dismissed."

The Stormtroopers saluted, then filed silently out of the holding cell. As the door sealed and locked behind them, Darth Vader and Sora were left alone, staring each other down with naught but contempt in their eyes (or so Sora presumed, since there was no way of knowing what expression the face behind Darth Vader's mask might be twisted into).

Sora's mind raced as he processed all that this new development would mean. Darth Vader had made a fatal mistake: he had removed from the room the only things preventing Sora from summoning his keyblade. Now, the Keyblade Master would have no trouble escaping from his bonds and defeating the Sith Lord. Sora's mouth twisted into a wry grin as he said, "That was a big mistake."

Darth Vader seemed unperturbed by this statement. "Was it?"

In the next instant, Sora's keyblade came to his hands in a flash of light and disintegrated his bonds. Darth Vader's response was just as fast, and a distinctive humming noise was heard as a bar of red plasma erupted from his hand and pierced Sora's right shoulder, running cleanly into one side and out of the other. Sora cried out in agony and his keyblade vanished. The bar of red plasma retreated into Darth Vader's hand, and Sora's right arm went completely limp as he began to collapse. He was caught by Darth Vader, whose black-gloved hand now seized the Keyblade Master by the throat.

These events had all taken place in only a half a second, and it took Sora's mind the remainder of the second to register what was going on. Darth Vader clipped his lightsaber to his belt with his free hand, and it was only upon seeing this that Sora realized that Darth Vader had been too fast for him, that the Sith Lord's crimson lightsaber had left a surgically precise hole in Sora's shoulder. The wound had been cauterized instantly by the heat of the lightsaber, and the cut was so deep and so neat that Darth Vader could easily see through it.

Sora was now powerless in Darth Vader's gasp. The lightsaber wound had rendered him incapable of moving his right arm, and Darth Vader's grasp on his windpipe prevented him from even screaming. He could only gasp and choke as Darth Vader lifted him high into the air, then threw him backward. Before Sora could crash into anything, however, he felt himself being choked again—this time by Darth Vader's mastery of the Force.

Sora now dangled in midair, barely able to breathe. He did not remain this way for long, however, before Darth Vader rapidly thrust his hand downward. The Force responded to this gesture and slammed Sora hard upon the naked steel floor of the holding cell.

"You underestimate the power of the dark side." Darth Vader chided, moving his hand up and to the right. Sora found himself being flung into a wall, also made of unadorned metal. He fell to the floor again, this time under his own power. He felt a searing pain coursing through his shoulder, and being slammed into walls of solid steel had created many nasty bruises on his skin.

Despite his pain, Sora rose shakily to his feet and stood in defiance before the Sith Lord. "I'm not giving up." he said with fierce determination. "I won't let you hurt Kairi, or anyone else."

"Kairi?" Darth Vader repeated with audible interest. "You need not worry about _her_. Neither she nor the child she carries are to be harmed, and the Emperor wishes the rest of your allies to be kept alive." With this, Darth Vader again lifted his hand, suspending Sora in midair. "Only _your_ death is inconsequential." he concluded.

Sora had no time to question how Darth Vader had learned about the child, or why Kairi was to be left unharmed, or why he was the only prisoner who was not to be spared. When Darth Vader concluded something, it was _concluded_; the conversation between them was over. Before Sora could even open his mouth to raise any more questions, Darth Vader thrust his arm upward. Sora was thrown against the metal grates that formed the ceiling of the holding cell, which racked the Keyblade Master's body with newfound pain. This time, he _did_ scream, a roar of anguish so loud that its echoes still filled the prison cell for several seconds after the actual scream had ended.

Darth Vader held Sora there for a moment, allowing the Force to press Sora's body as close to the ceiling as possible. After a moment, the Sith Lord thrust his arm forward, and Sora was flung backwards, careening toward the back of the holding cell…

Directly into an electrical panel.

Usually, electrical panels in prison cells served the sole purpose of powering the usual assortment of torture devices that would be brought in when interrogating captives. However, in this particular case, the electrical panel _became_ a torture device as Sora's body crashed into it at such remarkable speed. More howls of pain issued from the Keyblade Master's mouth as vast amounts of electricity coursed through his body, singing his clothes and creating wisps of foul-smelling smoke. The wound in his shoulder stung most of all, and the bruises he had accumulated were now throbbing. As Darth Vader kept Sora pinned firmly to the electrical panel, the Keyblade Master let out another cry of pure anguish.

Though this continuous sensation of excruciating pain would have rendered an ordinary man unconscious, Sora remained fully alert. _That_ had been the purpose of the chemical he'd been injected with: to keep him in a state of consciousness through even the greatest of torment.

At last, when the electrical panel seemed to be losing its potency, Darth Vader jerked his hand toward the front of the cell. Sora was sent sprawling to the floor, the side of his face striking the floor with an audible _clang_. That last impact had broken three of Sora's already battered ribs, and his body still jerked with the last of the electricity as it coursed through his veins. The white-hot burning in his shoulder wound now grew cold, as though it were wreathed in some sort of frozen flame. The rest of his body was sore beyond description, and he felt as though a monstrous creature were inside his head, trying to claw its way through his skull in order to reach the outside world. Sora had never endured so much pain before, even at the hands of the Horned King. Right here, right now, as he lay prostrate upon the bare metal of the prison cell floor, Sora finally learned the true meaning of suffering.

A wave of cold dread washed over the Keyblade Master as he felt the power of the Force seize him by the back of the neck and haul him to his feet. Sora was held upright not by his own strength, which had long since faded, but by Darth Vader's crushing grip on his throat. Darth Vader only stared down at Sora for a moment, his hand extended to maintain the grip that the Force exerted on Sora's windpipe. For the duration of that moment, there was no sound but that of Sora's audible choking and of Darth Vader's continuous breathing.

At last, Darth Vader broke the silence. "You are beaten, Sora, but the time has not yet come for you to die. It is the Emperor's wish that you first witness what is to become of your allies."

Sora's thoughts instantly turned to Kairi. What was to become of her? What did Emperor Palpatine have in mind for her… and for the _baby_? Sora could not imagine what the Emperor might be planning for them, nor did he want to. He tried to call out her name—he wanted to scream it at the top of his voice—but Darth Vader's grasp on his throat reduced that shout to a defeated whimper. "N-no…" he gasped. "K-Kairi…"

"Her fate shall be no worse than your own." Darth Vader retorted. He released his hold on Sora's windpipe, instead channeling the Force into a single unseen blast. This blast struck Sora full in the chest, causing the Keyblade Master to fall backward and go skidding into the far wall of the holding cell. Despite the sickening _crack_ that followed as Sora's skull made impact with the wall, Sora still retained full consciousness, and an involuntary cry of unbearable pain erupted from his mouth, which was twisted into a snarl of bitter anguish. That final scream, this one much louder than the last, seemed to satisfy Darth Vader; the Sith Lord finally turned to exit the cell, his cape billowing in his wake.

Sora was left alone. He was in such _pain_… he should have been thinking of medical attention. However, his mind was instead fixed on a single word, the name that was now the only comfort he had left—and even _that_ comfort was rapidly fading.

_Kairi…_ he thought sorrowfully, _Kairi, I'm so sorry…_

**________________________________________________________________________________________**

The volume of Sora's many cries had been more than sufficient to penetrate the door of his holding cell, filling the ears of those who stood outside. The two Stormtroopers who had once guarded Sora were now stationed just outside the door, and they defended their new posts no less diligently than they had their old.

Also standing near the door were Lando Calrissian and Lobot, along with the bounty hunter Boba Fett. As another of Sora's piercing screams pervaded the air, Lando and Boba happened to glance at each other. Lando only hoped that his face looked _half_ as unfeeling as Boba Fett's helmet did.

At last, after one last heart-wrenching scream from Sora's cell, the door finally opened. Darth Vader emerged from it a moment later, looking none the worse from his brief visit with the captive Keyblade Master.

Lando Calrissian was the first to try to address the Dark Lord of the Sith. "Lord Vader." he declared, trying to sound assertive without being overly aggressive. It was a thin line to walk, but a crucial one when trying to get Darth Vader's attention.

Despite Lando's tact, Darth Vader ignored him at first, pushing past him in order to speak to Boba Fett. "I am now moving on to oversee the inquisition of Captain Solo." he said to the bounty hunter. "You may take him to Jabba the Hutt after I have Skywalker."

"He's no good to me dead." Boba Fett reminded the Sith Lord.

"He will not be permanently damaged." Darth Vader reassured him, putting enough emphasis on the word _permanent_ to get his point across: he still planned to inflict a good deal of damage on Han Solo before turning him over to Jabba.

"Lord Vader," Lando tried again, this time a bit more sharply, "what about Kairi? Or Leia and the Wookiee?"

"Kairi is no longer your concern." Darth Vader stated harshly as he entered an elevator shaft. "Leia and the Wookiee must never again leave this city."

Lando could hardly believe it. _What_? Why could Leia and Chewbacca never leave Cloud City again? And just what in the galaxy did Darth Vader plan to do with _Kairi_? Lando's outrage reflected in his voice as he shouted, "That was never a condition of our agreement, nor was giving Han to this bounty hunter!"

Lando froze as he remembered to whom he was speaking. Beneath the cold, black lenses of Vader's helmet, Lando swore he could see the anger flashing in the Sith Lord's eyes, daring him to utter just one more syllable. "Perhaps you think you are being treated unfairly?" Darth Vader questioned.

The Sith Lord had never raised his voice, nor did he have to. His message was quite clear, and Lando knew that there was only one answer he could ever give. "No."

"_Good_." Darth Vader replied. "It would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here."

The conversation was over. The elevator door sealed shut, and Darth Vader was already zooming toward the floor where Han Solo was also being brutally tortured.

Lando watched in horror as the two Stormtroopers stationed outside Sora's prison cell now went _inside_, shutting the door behind them. Lando was almost afraid to see what Sora would look like when he came out of that cell—_if_ he came out of that cell. Lando had no idea what Sora had done to earn such enmity with the Empire, but he was sure that _nothing_ would have made him deserving of such cruel torment.

Ultimately, there was nothing for Lando to do but hold his head and growl, "This deal is getting worse all the time."

**________________________________________________________________________________________**

Queen Kairi and Princess Leia were in yet another prison cell not far away from where Sora was being tortured. They had been forced to share a prison cell, one which one of the Stormtroopers had snidely referred to as "the royal suite"—which, they knew, was a blunt degradation of their royal statuses.

Of all the prisoners kept by the Empire, Kairi and Leia seemed to be the most fortunate. They had not been physically harmed as of yet (actually, Kairi reflected, the Stormtroopers had actually handled her quite delicately, as though they were _afraid_ to harm her), and their greatest discomfort was caused by their worry for their friends.

This, of course, was far worse for Kairi than it was for Leia. Her connection with Sora's heart caused her to _feel_ his suffering. She did not sense his physical pain, but she knew _exactly_ what his heart was feeling: anguish, anger, sadness… and _love_.

That hurt Kairi more than anything else. Despite everything he was going through, despite the tortures Darth Vader was inflicting upon him, Sora was thinking of her. Their special bond allowed Kairi to perceive with perfect clarity the intensity with which Sora loved her. That simple knowledge made her own heart ache for him all the more, and she suffered most for the want of him. She needed him to be with her, to keep his promise to protect her and the baby.

The_ baby_.

Kairi sat upon a hard, metal bench and put a hand to her stomach. Her worst fears had been realized. Somehow, some way, Darth Vader _knew_ about her child. That was how Lando Calrissian had found out. And this probably meant that Emperor Palpatine was aware as well.

It was almost funny. Before she had come to this galaxy, her biggest concern had been whether she was ready to be a mother or not—now, she would be thankful if her baby would even _survive_.

Kairi's thoughts were interrupted by Princess Leia's voice. "I hear Stormtroopers coming this way."

Kairi nodded and stood up, trying to be strong. It was very difficult to do so, however, for it was at that moment that an earsplitting scream issued from a prison cell not far away. Kairi recognized the screaming voice as Sora's, and it suddenly felt as though her heart had shattered into a thousand irredeemable pieces. She realized then that she had never heard him scream before. Yes, he had grunted and howled in pain before—it was a part of being a Keybearer—but he had never _screamed_, had never made such a broken, defeated noise that laid bare the entirety of his suffering.

The sound of her husband's agony left Kairi in tears, but she quickly wiped them away as the prison door swooshed open and four Imperial Stormtroopers emerged from it. "All right," one said harshly (this one was clearly _not_ a clone of Jango Fett, for his voice was significantly less menacing), "Lord Vader wants all of you in one cell. You're coming with us."

Neither Kairi nor Princess Leia offered any resistance as the Stormtroopers led them away. If Darth Vader wanted them all in the same cell, they would not complain. Perhaps it would mean that Kairi would get to see Sora again… though a part of her did not want to see what he must have looked like after enduring such torture. But then she felt a powerful tugging sensation on her heart, telling her that Sora needed her as much as she needed him.

As the Stormtroopers led them down the hall, Kairi and Leia began to hear shouting from one of the cells; obviously, C-3PO was at least partially functioning again. "What have you done?" the droid exclaimed. "I'm _backward_, you flea-bitten furball! Only an overgrown mophead like you would be stupid enough—"

Suddenly, C-3PO's voice cut off. Kairi had to smile as she realized that Chewbacca (who, judging from C-3PO's insults, was already in the cell) had finally had enough of the protocol droid's complaining.

Now, the sound of heavy, booted footsteps could be heard approaching C-3PO and Chewbacca's cell from the opposite end of the corridor. Both Leia and Kairi looked shocked as two Imperial Stormtroopers came into view, hauling a broken-down Han Solo along the hallway. Han's arms were slung over the Stormtroopers' shoulders, and the toes of his boots scraped the floor as the troopers dragged him on. His eyes were open, but his eyes were glazed over and his jaw was completely slack. The two Stormtroopers dragging Han soon entered the cell, and Kairi and Leia followed soon after. The Stormtroopers departed after that, leaving the five companions alone for now.

Kairi looked around and took note of her surroundings. Chewbacca had indeed been in the cell with C-3PO, and was now hugging Han in an effort to help him stand. Nearby, C-3PO was placed upon a bench. His lower torso, legs, and left arm were still detached, and wires jutted from where the missing appendages should have been.

Despite this, Han Solo looked even worse. There were no blemishes upon his body, but Kairi could instantly tell just how much pain he had been through at the hands of the Empire. "I feel terrible." he muttered weakly as Chewbacca helped him get to a bare metal slab—a convenient, retractable (albeit very uncomfortable) place for prisoners to rest or sleep.

Han lay down upon this steel slab, and Princess Leia instantly moved to kneel beside him; their eyes instantly locked as Leia ran her finger's through Han's thick brown hair. "Why are they doing this?" she asked. it was a rhetorical question—she _knew_ why they were doing it. They were doing it because they _could_, because the Empire ruled through the power of _fear_. A galaxy of broken, frightened people was much easier to control than a galaxy of brave, spirited ones.

"They never even asked me any questions." Han informed Leia. Leia responded by giving Han a chaste kiss on the forehead, one which was intended to comfort and to express…

_Love_?

Despite this interesting development, Kairi was only half paying attention, and she scarcely acknowledged how painfully obvious it was that Han and Leia truly cared for one another. Her gaze was fixed upon the door to the prison cell, her heart pounding like a drum inside her chest as she awaited Sora to be brought into the cell.

She did not wait for long. After only a moment or two, a pair of Stormtroopers entered, bringing Sora with them. Unlike Han Solo, Sora was not dragged into the holding cell—rather, he was being forced at gunpoint to walk under his own power. "In you go, Keybearer scum." one Stormtrooper (this one a Jango Fett clone and a member of the 501st Legion) barked. Obviously, the Empire had already spread very negative Keybearer propaganda, at least within its own ranks.

The Stormtrooper pushed Sora inside, and his legs were so shaky that he would have fallen had Kairi not been right there to catch him. But catch him she did, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist in an attempt to keep him steady… and because she had been waiting to hold him again ever since they had been separated.

Sora winced in pain. "_Ah_! _Ah_! Broken ribs! Broken ribs!" he exclaimed, and Kairi instantly loosened her grip. She finally looked up at him, though as soon as she saw his face, she almost wished she hadn't. The anxious drumbeat of her heart became the melancholy beat of the wolds' saddest metronome.

Sora's torment, unlike Han Solo's, was clearly evidenced all over his body. Kairi saw many bruises on his face and arms, and could only imagine how many more were hidden beneath his clothes. His ribs were broken and he was gasping for breath, as though all the air had been wrested from his lungs. But worst of all was his right shoulder: a hole, a centimeter in diameter, had been burned into it, so deeply and so precisely that Kairi could just make out the cell door by peering through the wound. Kairi gingerly fingered the edges of this hole, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears. "Sora…" she whispered, though the tears now choked her and prevented her from raising her voice. "Oh, Sora… what did they _do _to you?"

Sora shook his head weakly, his own voice stifled by the agony that still racked his entire body. "You… you don't wanna know. And I _really_ don't wanna talk about it."

Kairi tried to smile, but it was difficult to maintain with tears stinging her eyes and the very _sight_ of her husband now breaking her heart. "Come on." she managed to say. "You need to rest."

Chewbacca slid another metal slab out from the wall as Kairi helped Sora walk to it. She assisted him as he lay down upon the slab before sitting down upon it herself, allowing him to use her lap as a pillow. She began to absent-mindedly play with his hair as she stared into his bright cerulean eyes. Sora's eyes had not lost any of their sparkle, despite the rest of his battered and bruised body. Kairi was sure that those eyes would _never_ dim, and it was one of the only reassuring thoughts she had left in her.

"Well…" Sora murmured, though his voice sounded as broken as his body looked, "at least _one_ of us is all right. I was so _worried_…"

"Shhh." Kairi said gently, placing a delicate finger over his lips. Her tears had finally dried, and she could now flash him an honest, loving smile. "Save your strength. You're gonna be all right."

Before Sora could issue a response of any kind, Kairi began to reach for something hidden on her person. She had been wise enough to leave her purse (which contained several potions and ethers, just in case) aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, but she had also been prudent enough to conceal one small item: an elixir, one of the most powerful healing agents in the worlds. "Here. Drink this." Kairi instructed Sora as she carefully popped off the lid of the ornate golden bottle and tilted Sora's head up so that he might drink. Elixir tasted quite differently than potions—in fact, Sora had said they tasted something like honey—and thus Sora had little trouble in draining the bottle. Instantly, his bruises began to clear up and his shoulder wound began to seal, though it still looked quite nasty. Even his ribs were beginning to mend.

Fortunately, the elixir had a second effect: the ability to restore the drinker's reserve of magical energy. Sora used this energy to cast a quick Curaga spell upon himself, but the mental exertion that such a spell required now threatened to exhaust him. Even as his bruises disappeared and his shoulder wound finally sealed completely (though still leaving behind a crescent-shaped scar), Sora closed his eyes and relaxed.

Kairi shook her head and continued to mess with Sora's hair. "Lazy bum." she whispered, her smile beginning to brighten and her broken heart beginning to mend.

Without warning, the cell door swooshed open. This time, it was not another prisoner who entered the cell, but the jailer himself. Lando Calrissian strode into the prison chamber, preceded by two of his blue-uniformed guards. Chewbacca roared at the sight of him; Leia, who knew that Han and Sora were still having trouble lifting their heads, was compelled to say, "Lando."

She had said it both to inform the two wounded prisoners of Lando's presence and to express her disdain for the Cloud City administrator. For once, Lando's all-too-charming smile was not present—in fact, the man looked utterly grave. Still, as Kairi found herself thinking, he probably deserved it after he'd so shamelessly turned them over to the Empire.

Sora's eyes slowly opened as Lando strode to the center of the room, and he sat up. Kairi placed her hands on Sora's shoulders to prevent him from teetering, since he was still quite shaky after all he'd been through. "L-Lando…" Sora snarled, the weakness of his voice doing nothing to hinder the hatred with which he said the name. "If you think I can't kick your butt… just because I'm hurt… then you're even dumber than you look."

"Get outta here, Lando." Han Solo agreed, also attempting to rise. His own untreated wounds, however, made it more difficult for him to move.

"Shut up and listen." Lando shot back, effectively shutting the two of them up. "Now," he began again, sounding subdued to the point of resignation, "Vader has agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me. Kairi is to be placed under Darth Vader's direct supervision, effective immediately."

"Over my dead body." Sora growled.

Lando lowered his gaze. "That's the idea." he murmured.

Had Kairi not been trying to support Sora with her hands, she would have shot up right then. "_What_?" she demanded.

"Vader's gonna _kill _you, Sora." Lando reiterated. "What he put you through already is _nothing_ compared to what he's eventually planning for you. The Stormtroopers are all talking about how he'll be shipping you to the emperor one piece at a time."

Sora, against all his better judgment, leaped to his feet. His balance was still shaky and his head was swimming, but his anger was sufficient enough to keep him upright. "Let him _try_!" he barked.

"Sora, don't say things like that." Kairi cautioned him, now rising to stand behind him and wrapping her arms gingerly around his waist. She rested her head between his shoulder blades and reminded him, "You're still hurt a lot more than you'll admit. I don't want to see you suffer any more than you already have."

Sora nodded in compliance, but his fists were clenched and his gaze was still fixed angrily upon Lando.

While Sora and Kairi had been speaking, Princess Leia had been thinking. She noticed that Lando had neglected to mention a rather important member of their party, and she now asked, "What about Han?"

Lando looked up to meet Leia's eyes. "Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter."

"Vader wants us _all_ dead!" Leia exclaimed.

"He doesn't want you at all!" Lando countered, "He's after Sora and somebody called, uhh… _Skywalker_."

"Luke?" Han asked, now able to sit up under his own power. He, unlike Sora, was still not yet strong enough to stand.

The name was familiar, even to Sora and Kairi. Though the couple had not met Luke Skywalker in person, they still felt as though they identified with him, even if it was only because Luke was Anakin Skywalker's son.

"Lord Vader has set up a trap for him." Lando confessed. To Sora, he added, "I don't know how he plans to deal with you, but I don't think Luke Skywalker is the first victim he has in mind for that trap."

"So the rest of us are bait?" Kairi surmised, releasing her hold on Sora and stomping to where Lando Calrissian stood. Sora nearly smiled. Kairi _hated_ being bait, and ever since her brief stay in the Horned King's palace, she became angry when she caught even the slightest implication of the word. Even so, Kairi was not as angry now as she would have been, since this was the first time that she had been used to bait a trap for anyone other than Sora.

"Yeah, well, he's on his way." Lando answered, artfully dodging the question.

"Perfect." Han muttered, rising to his feet. His legs were still as shaky as Sora's had been (indeed, Sora's strength was rapidly returning to him, though his shoulder still burned terribly), but Solo did not falter as he approached Lando. "You fixed us all real good, didn't you? My _friend_!"

With remarkable reflexes for a man who'd undergone so much pain so recently, Han Solo landed a solid punch on Lando Calrissian's jaw. Lando stumbled backward into one of the guards, but Han's condition was still affecting his performance—he stumbled forward, and tried to grab Lando in order to right himself. However, he only barely managed to touch Lando's cape before he fell to the floor.

Lando Calrissian's guards were quick to react. Han Solo tried to rise from his fall, but one of the guards slammed the butt of his blaster into Han's back. Before anyone else could move, the other guard quickly pointed his blaster toward Sora. Sora's finger twitched, but he did not have time to summon his keyblade before Lando shouted, "Stop!"

For a fraction of a second, everyone froze. Leia was the first to move again, rushing to Han Solo's side. Kairi moved closer to Sora and hugged his neck, hoping both to comfort him and, by doing so, to comfort herself. She was relieved that the majority of Sora's bruises were now gone and his ribs were mostly healed, and she could now squeeze him as tightly as she wanted without fear of causing him pain.

Lando Calrissian rose to his full height and adjusted his cape, hoping to maintain some semblance of dignity. "I've done all I can. I'm sorry I couldn't do better, but I got my own problems."

"Oh, I feel _so_ much better now." Sora jeered, snaking his arm around Kairi's shoulders and holding her as close to him as he could. "Sorry I doubted you."

"Yeah, you're a real hero." Han agreed, his own voice also filled with sarcasm and open resentment even as he lay sprawling upon the metal floor.

Lando could not issue a response, but his face twisted into a dour expression. He stormed out of the cell with a flourish of his cape, his two guards falling into step beside him. The door slid shut behind them, and there was a collective sigh of relief throughout the prison chamber, everyone just glad to be rid of him.

Chewbacca knelt down beside Han, who was still struggling to catch his breath. Princess Leia shook her head. "You certainly have a way with people."

Han tried to smile, but it visibly pained him to do so, and the smile altogether looked more like a grimace. He had been through a lot, and everyone in the cell regretted that no more elixirs were available and that Sora was not yet in a condition for casting a Curaga spell.

Kairi looked up at her husband and squeezed him even more tightly than before. Yes, his bruises were gone, but she could tell that his body still ached, and that scar on his shoulder would be burning for quite some time. He was in no condition to fight, and fighting was about the only way he could hope to survive his stay on this planet. "Sora," Kairi whispered in a voice so low that only he could hear, "what's gonna happen to you? To _us_?"

Sora smiled grimly. "Well, _you_ don't have anything to worry about. Darth Vader doesn't want you to get hurt. You and the baby are safe."

Kairi realized that Sora was dodging the first question. "But what about _you_?" she repeated. "Will _you_ be all right?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't know. I kinda doubt it. I'm getting the same feeling I got right before we fought the Horned King… and you remember how _that_ turned out."

Kairi shut her eyes and buried her face in Sora' chest. She _did_ remember. It was one of her most painful memories. She could still picture it quite clearly in her mind's eye: the way he had leaped into the Black Cauldron, the way she had called out his name, the way that Riku had been forced to drag her out of the Horned King's palace by force because she had absolutely _refused_ to leave her love behind…

"No, Sora, _please_." Kairi begged. "I can't lose you again."

"I don't wanna lose you either, Kai." Sora replied, beginning to stroke her soft auburn hair. "But if something _does_ happen to me…stay with Leia and Chewbacca. They might find a way to contact King Mickey and Riku. They might be able to get you _out_ of here. You with me, Kairi?"

Kairi only nodded. "I understand. But it doesn't matter if I do or not, because you're gonna be all right."

The words didn't sound true, even to Kairi. She hugged Sora until she thought she would crush him, and she buried her face so deeply into his chest that she could no longer see anything but the black fabric of Sora's shirt. She hugged him as though it were the last hug she would _ever_ give him, knowing in her heart that it just might be. Still, even though she was as close to her husband as physically possible, she still couldn't escape the feeling of being alone.

So _very_ alone.

**________________________________________________________________________________________**

**A/N: Another chapter off my chest and on the internet. Hope you liked it.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! We're slipping into a pretty steady pattern of eleven reviews per chapter, which I think is FANTASTIC! We are only FOURTEEN REVIEWS AWAY from reaching 100 reviews, so if we're REALLY lucky, we can pull it off this chapter. If not, then our goal is still well within our grasp. **

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	11. The Freezing Chamber

**A/N:** **Hello. Today, we have a couple of special announcements from the desk of Lord Moldybutt before we begin, so sit tight:**

**The first announcement is a grave one. As many of you already know, Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse since 1977, passed away on May 18th due to complications with diabetes. Because of his incredible talent, and because many of us here have grown up with Wayne Allwine's version of Mickey Mouse (including the Kingdom Hearts games), I beleive it is only fitting that the following announcement is made. As of today, the first of June in the year 2009, the _Kingdom Hearts_ series of fanfictions written by Lord Moldybutt are hereby dedicated to the memory of Wayne Allwine and the legacy of his accomplishments. It is my hope that this series will be able to do at least some of the justice that Mr. Allwine deserves.**

**In other news, I apologize for the long wait that it took for me to update again. This one was particularly difficult for me to write, and I can only hope that I did as well with it as I had hoped.**

**And now, without further ado, I present Chapter 11 of _Kingdom Hearts: Shadow of an Empire_.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Freezing Chamber**

The windowless carbon-freezing chamber of Cloud City was not a welcoming place, and that was even _without_ Darth Vader's chilling breath echoing all around. The chamber was crude, but highly efficient for its purpose. That purpose was a simple one: to mix Tibanna gas with carbonite, then freeze the mixture into a solid block that was easily transported from one place to another. The mixing and freezing process all took place inside a deep pit at the center of a raised circular platform that dominated the chamber. Massive mechanical claws called retrieval tongs were used to reach into the pit and remove the carbonite blocks. The claws currently rested on the ceiling of the chamber, high above the heads of those who entered.

That was but the first of many foreboding aspects of this sinister room. The walls and the platform were all made of black metal. Two stairways of the same metal led from the platform to a narrow catwalk that encircled the chamber. The only lights in the room emitted a glowing red color, and steam billowed from numerous vents spread throughout the chamber. The black metal, the red lights, and the steam vaguely called to mind what the inside of a toaster oven looks like when it is turned on. And as if that were not off-putting enough to any reasonable person, the platform was without guardrail. One wrong step could send a person off the edge of the platform and falling straight to the floor many feet below.

This did not bother Darth Vader, however, as the Sith Lord stood on the edge of the platform, looking down at the pipes and vents that one would meet if one _did_ take a bed step. After a moment, Vader turned and made his way through the rising steam to the center of the platform, just a few paces from the carbon-freezing pit. Beside him were Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers. Two Ugnaughts worked inside the pit, preparing it for the task that Darth Vader had assigned it. Ugnaughts were, as Princess Leia had said, small humanoid creatures, standing at roughly one and a half meters tall. Their faces were porcine in appearance, with snouts resembling those of pigs and small tusks protruding from their jaws. To those not used to them, they came across as ugly, deformed dwarves. Their presence alone added just a little more fright and mystery to the chamber.

"This facility is crude," Darth Vader said as he looked around, "but it should be adequate to freeze Skywalker for his journey to the emperor."

Suddenly, an Imperial officer stepped onto the platform and approached the Sith Lord. "Lord Vader," he said quickly, "ship approaching. X-wing class."

"Good." Darth Vader replied. This was why this particular freezing chamber had been chosen: it was very near Platform 327, where Luke Skywalker was sure to find the _Millennium Falcon_. Luke was playing right into Darth Vader's hands. "Monitor Skywalker and allow him to land." he instructed the officer, who nodded in the affirmative and quickly walked away.

"Lord Vader," Lando warned from his position beside the Sith Lord, "we only use this facility for carbon freezing. You put him in there, it might kill him."

"I do not want the emperor's prize damaged." Vader acknowledged. "We will test it… on Captain Solo."

Darth Vader said no more before he and his two Imperial Stormtroopers made their way across the chamber. One Stormtrooper gave Lando a shove as he passed, quite disrespectfully indicating for him to move aside.

In perhaps the greatest display of good judgment he had shown since the Empire had come to Bespin, Lando did not shove back.

* * *

On the planet Dagobah, there was a relatively large group gathered around the outside of Yoda's little hut. Not long after Luke Skywalker had left, Yoda had asked King Mickey to speak with him _in private_, which meant that entrance to the hut was temporarily forbidden. Still, that did not stop Riku, Taran, Donald, and Goofy from crowding around the outside of the hut, trying to listen in on the conversation. Riku was sure that both Mickey and Yoda could sense their presences, but this did not affect the two of them as they continued to speak.

Donald Duck was currently standing on tiptoes, peering through one of the low windows of the hut. Goofy was standing just to Donald's right, also attempting to see what was going on. "Gawrsh, Donald, have they said anything yet?" Goofy whispered, looking around warily.

"Yeah." Donald replied. "Maybe I could hear if you'd shut up, ya big palooka."

"Sorry." Goofy apologized, taking a step back… which caused him to stumble upon an exposed tree root and topple to the ground. he hit the muddy ground with a _thud_.

Taran couldn't help but laugh, but he quickly stifled it as Riku slapped his forehead. "You guys are the worst spies I've ever seen." he muttered. "I bet _Sora_ could do a better job than this."

"Pipe down, guys!" Donald quacked sharply. "They're saying something."

Everyone fell silent as Donald peeped through the window, hoping to at least _hear_ what the two wisest masters of their respective orders were saying.

Through the window of the cottage, Donald could see that Yoda and Mickey had been arguing. King Mickey looked as calm as he always did when discussing anything with anyone. Yoda, on the other hand, looked indignant. The Jedi Grand Master's ears were curled and his lips were pursed, and his gimer stick constantly tapped as he paced from one end of the hut to the other. Yoda had obviously been doing most (if not all) of the talking thus far, for he seemed quite worked up. Everyone closed their mouths, opened their ears, and listened.

"… And a danger to young Skywalker's training, you have become!" Yoda huffed, tapping his gimer stick upon the floor. "The _Force_, Skywalker's ally must be. None other."

"Gosh," Mickey shrugged, "I'm not tryin' to get in the way. I just want Luke to do what's right."

"Heh!" Yoda snorted. "_Right_? Agree on what is right, a Jedi and a Keybearer can _not_. Different. Too different."

"I know." Mickey nodded. "The Jedi don't get close to _anybody_. Keybearers let themselves _love_. _That's_ why Luke's goin' after his pals: because he _cares_ about 'em."

"_Love_!" Yoda scoffed. "Heh! Tell you I will about _love_. Fall in love once, Lord _Vader_ did. To the dark side, it led him. Convinced he was that the dark side was the only way to save his love, but _destroy Vader_ it did."

"See?" Mickey answered, sounding glad that he'd discovered a root of the difference between Jedi and Keybearer. "_That_ was Darth Vader's mistake! Fallin' in love didn't turn him bad. He turned bad because he thought the dark side was the only way to help! The dark side _never_ helps. It's out to destroy people and take over their hearts!"

For the first time since Mickey and his friends had landed on Dagobah, Jedi Grand master Yoda nodded in agreement. "True."

"That's the _Jedi_'s problem too." Mickey went on. "That's why you never let anybody get attached to anything. You're scared they'll turn to the dark side over it. But that doesn't always happen. True love is _never_ bad. Sometimes, it even helps. Love can give a fella a place to go to when his own heart isn't strong enough alone."

"A Jedi's strength flows from the _Force_." Yoda contended. "The _Force_, a Jedi can turn to when his own strength fails. Wisdom, insight, judgment… all these things, the Force provides. What need we from love? The shadow of _greed_, attachment is."

"That's not true either." Mickey countered. "Love is the _opposite_ of greed. If you _really_ love somebody, you care about them a lot more than you care about yourself. Bein' selfish is the _last_ thing you want."

Yoda was not yet satisfied. "But become attached to those you care for, you do. Difficult to let them go, it becomes. Let go of his friends, Luke Skywalker could not. Incomplete, his training is, because he could not accept their loss."

"See?" Mickey pointed out. "Luke went off to save his friends. _That's_ not selfish. It woulda been selfish to stay _here_, knowin' they're gonna die. It's not worth it to let all those people die just so he'd be ready to fight Vader a little sooner. If there's a way to save his friends, it's Luke's job as a friend to find it."

"Friendship." Yoda snorted. "Love. _Attachments_, these things are. _Distractions_. Ways for a Jedi to lose focus, to stop being one with the Force."

Mickey nodded very slowly. "I'll admit love is kinda distracting. I have somebody waitin' for me to come home right now. I miss her a whole lot…" King Mickey clutched a hand to his heart as he thought about Queen Minnie, who waited patiently in another galaxy for her king to come home. Mickey could hardly wait to see her smile at him again, to take her hand in his and tell her that he was home to stay. "But whenever I get down, all I gotta do is remember that she's there waitin' for me. It helps me keep goin' sometimes, knowin' I have somebody to come home to."

Yoda only grunted. "Hmph. So say you. And so you are teaching young Skywalker. Agree with you, I do not. A _Jedi_, Skywalker must become. Not Keybearer. Perhaps better it would be if _diverge_, our paths do. If two teachers Skywalker has, only confusion will remain."

King Mickey raised a brow. "You want us to leave, don't ya?"

Yoda only nodded and turned away from Mickey, staring into the fire that burned brightly upon his makeshift stove, not even deigning to give the mouse a verbal answer.

King Mickey understood just the same. "Whelp," he sighed, "I guess we'll be goin'. It was nice seein' ya again, Master Yoda."

Yoda only grunted in response, still staring deeply into the firelight.

King Mickey stormed indignantly out of the hut. He was very small, and his feet made almost no noise upon the marshy ground of Dagobah, but still the diminutive mouse king managed to convey very strongly that he was upset. He did not spare any of his friends so much as a passing glance as he made his way to where he knew the _Cygnus_ was waiting. "Donald," he said as he walked on, "get the _Cygnus_ ready. We're leavin'."

Donald and the rest of Mickey's companions fell into step behind their ruler, but there was still a fair amount of confusion among them. "Where are we going, Your Majesty?" Donald asked.

King Mickey shook his head, his expression of anger melting into one of sadness. "I dunno, Donald. We just can't stay here. Maybe our hearts'll lead us somewhere else—right now, Ianywhere's better than here."

Donald cast a wary glance to Riku, Taran, and Goofy, but all three could only shrug. "As you command, Your Majesty." Donald sighed submissively. He only hoped that their hearts _would_ lead them somewhere, and _soon_. But it was not the court magician's place to question his king, particularly after eavesdropping on such an argument between Mickey and Yoda, and there was naught for Donald Duck to do but make sure his friends got aboard the _Cygnus_ before hopping into the captain's chair and leaving Dagobah far behind.

* * *

Boba Fett led the miserable procession of Imperial captives along the catwalk encircling the carbon-freezing chamber, shuttling them into the dark and terrible room. Behind Boba was Han Solo, whose hands were shackled before him. Following Han were Sora and Kairi. Kairi's hands remained free, but Sora's were bound behind his back. The position of his arms caused Sora's right shoulder to burn, for it was still quite sensitive to movement. Leia and Chewbacca were just behind the royal couple, their own hands not in any way restrained. Tethered to Chewbacca's back was a cargo net carrying the assorted parts of C-3PO. The protocol droid was upset both because his legs and left arm were missing and because his head was facing the opposite direction of Chewbacca's. C-3PO could not see where the group was headed, and could only watch the two Imperial Stormtroopers following the Wookiee. "If only you had reattached my legs, we wouldn't be in this ridiculous position!" C-3PO complained, trying to turn his head to see where Chewbacca was going. "Now remember, Chewbacca: you have a responsibility to me, so don't do anything foolish!"

Boba Fett continued to guide the procession down the stairs that led to the central platform of the carbon-freezing chamber. Lobot stood at the foot of these stairs, and Lando Calrissian awaited the group near the pit in the middle of the platform. Ugnaughts were still working in that pit, still making ready for whatever sinister plans that Darth Vader had in mind.

Stormtroopers were stationed at various positions all about the chamber, each with a blaster rifle in hand. Two more Stormtroopers entered the chamber via a second stairwell leading down to the platform, and Darth Vader followed close behind him. Sora couldn't help but scowl as the Sith Lord inspected the Ugnaughts' work in the pit, apparently satisfied with their progress. Sora's scowl vanished, however, when he happened to glance at Kairi again. She was still worried for him, he knew. She was still afraid of what Darth Vader was going to do to him, and whether they would ever see each other again once the Sith Lord was through with them. Sora knew that he could not get angry—or, for that matter, draw attention to himself in any way—lest he tempt Darth Vader to finish him off early.

Sora and Kairi both averted their eyes from Vader's imposing figure, instead watching as Han Solo came just a step behind Lando Calrissian. "What's going on… _buddy_?"

Lando did not dare to Face Han as he answered, "_You're_ being put into carbon freeze. And _Sora_… the only way he's coming out of this chamber is in a body bag."

The words, though not entirely new ones to Kairi, still stabbed at her heart as she looked at Sora. When she found that Sora could not return her gaze, so overcome was he with dark emotion, it took all the willpower Kairi possessed to keep herself from breaking down then and there. In the end, she could do nothing but fight back her tears, wishing to give neither Lando nor Vader the satisfaction of watching them fall.

Boba Fett stalked to Darth Vader's side then, showing not the slightest unease about addressing the Sith Lord. "What if Han doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to _me_."

"The Empire will compensate you if he dies." Darth Vader replied casually. Kairi could scarcely believe it. How could _anyone_—even such people as Vader and Boba—hold sentient life in such low regard? To them, Han Solo was no more valuable than a simple test subject or a sum of capital. Even such villains as Maleficent and the Horned King had _acknowledged_ the lives they had taken, but to see someone who simply _did not care_… it was unthinkable.

Darth Vader did not hear these thoughts, nor would he have been moved by them if he had. He turned to his Stormtroopers and ordered, "Put him in."

No sooner had the words been spoken than did Chewbacca let out a mighty howl. He threw one arm out to his side, catching a Stormtrooper with enough force to launch the soldier right off the edge of the platform. There was no time for the rest of the Stormtroopers to react before Chewbacca swung out his left arm, sending another Stormtrooper flying off the edge. From his position at the opposite end of the platform, Boba Fett finally managed to raise his blaster rifle, but Darth Vader took hold of the weapon and forced it down, away from the unfolding melee.

From his own vantage point (or in this case, _dis_advantage point) on Chewbacca's back, C-3PO began flailing about with his single functioning arm. "Oh no!" he wailed. "No no no! Stop!"

"_Stop_, Chewie, _stop_!" Han Solo added. "Stop!"

Another Stormtrooper went sailing off the edge of the platform by the Wookiee's hand.

Despite this, C-3PO was encouraged to have Han Solo's support for a change, and his own wailing continued. "Yes! Stop! Please! I'm not ready to die!"

Han Solo tried again. "Hey, hey! Listen to me, Chewie!"

While Chewbacca continue to howl and growl, Stormtroopers gathered around him in an attempt to secure his wrists with thick, heavy binders. Chewbacca looked like he was ready to fight anyway, but Han told him, "Chewie, this won't help me."

Chewbacca still looked on the verge of doing something crazy. "Hey!" Han snapped, trying to bring his hairy friend back to his senses. "Save your strength. There'll be another time. The _princess_—you have to take care of her. And you might want to keep an eye on the queen, too. This is gonna be rough."

Leia spared a tentative glance at Darth Vader and Boba Fett before moving past the Stormtroopers to stand close to Han and Chewbacca. Sora and Kairi looked to each other, then did the same.

With all their friends gathered around them, Han told Chewbacca sternly, "You hear me? Huh?"

Chewbacca nodded, whimpering softly. The Stormtroopers took advantage of the opportunity and shackled the Wookiee's wrists while Han and Leia, knowing that this could be their last moment together, met for one final kiss. Kairi, knowing that Sora was not in much of a position for kissing, opted instead to wrap her arms around his waist and hold him as tightly as she could. Sora, his hands firmly bound behind his back, could do nothing to return this display of emotion, but Kairi took some small comfort in the knowledge that he would have had he been able.

The Stormtroopers abruptly pulled Han away from Leia and forced him to the center of the platform, where a hydraulic lift waited to submerge him into the carbon-freezing pit. The Stormtroopers then moved to separate Sora and Kairi, but Darth Vader raised a hand to stop them. "Allow them to spend their final moments together." the Sith Lord stated. "It is of no consequence."

The Stormtroopers only nodded and approached Han Solo once more; Kairi, who had been holding Sora as closely as she could, now managed to squeeze him even tighter. She would have been grateful to Darth Vader for giving her these last moments with him, but she remembered that it was because of Vader that these would be their final moments in the first place.

Han Solo remained as dignified as he possibly could, standing straight and tall as he prepared to be lowered into the pit. He paid no attention to the Ugnaughts who removed his shackles; he did not mind Darth Vader, Boba Fett, or even _Lando _as they stared at him. He did not spare the Stormtroopers so much as a second glance as they milled all about him, jockeying for the most advantageous positions to keep him from escaping.

Han Solo's eyes were fixed on Leia.

Princess Leia Organa could not watch any longer. She _had_ to speak out, she realized, or it might be eternally too late. She realized something then—something she had always known, had always stored in the back of her mind, but had never examined so intimately before. She called out this new realization, and hoped beyond hope that Han Solo would understand in the way that she did.

"I love you!"

Han Solo's eyes did not waver in the slightest as he issued his response. "I know."

The lift descended then, taking Han Solo with it as it went down, down, down to the center of the pit. Though the pit itself was only two meters in diameter, it suddenly looked larger than the mouth of the "asteroid cave" ever had. This time, unlike the asteroid cave, everyone knew that there would be no escaping this pit. All Han's superb piloting skill, his remarkable ability with a blaster, and even the rugged charm that had attracted Leia to him in the first place… all were now useless in that tiny carbon-freezing pit.

Now, from where Leia and the rest of her friends were standing, only Han's head was visible above the pit. Through it all, his eyes never once left Leia's.

A powerful silence fell upon the chamber as Darth Vader gestured toward an Ugnaught standing near a control panel. The Ugnaught nodded and threw a switch, initiating the carbon-freezing process. It was only than that Han Solo looked away from Leia, visibly flinching before he seemed to vanish in a thick cloud of steam erupting from the pit.

The profound silence was broken by C-3PO, who was still struggling to get a look from within the cargo net on Chewbacca's back. "What? What's going on? Turn around! Chewbacca, I can't see!"

But Chewbacca did not turn around. He only whimpered as retrieval tongs descended from the ceiling, reaching inside the carbon-freezing pit. The steam was still clearing as the tongs emerged from the pit once more, but there was no mistaking what was in the tongs' mechanical clutches.

The carbonite block was exactly 203 centimeters high, 81 centimeters wide, and 25 centimeters thick. It was a shimmering dark gray in color, and was quite heavy even _without_ Han Solo, whose body was now immobilized within the block. Han Solo's face and the front part of his body protruded ever so slightly from the slab, clearly defined creases running all over the exposed parts of his clothes. His hands and forearms were raised defensively, and stuck out an inch or two from the main portion of the slab. On his face was a look of anguish and desperation. He looked almost as though he were an unfinished statue—a macabre personification of human suffering fashioned by an exceptional artist who, after only partially finishing the project, realized that he would rather sculpt far more cheerful things.

Thus Han Solo stood petrified as two Ugnaughts rushed to inspect their work. After examining everything from the block itself to its control casing (a frame with slender monitors adorning both sides) and checking all readouts, one Ugnaught pressed its grubby hands against carbonite block and pushed, sending the block toppling backward onto the platform. The resulting _clang_ was so loud that it made Kairi jolt with surprise.

Kairi was horrified by the carbonite block before her, and could only _imagine_ what Leia was feeling. There Han Solo was, flat on his back with his hands clutching the air. He looked as though he were perpetually dying, forever struggling in a silver sea that would not swallow him. "Oh _Sora_…" Kairi murmured softly, closing her eyes and hiding her face in her husband's chest. She had no desire to look at that horrific block of carbonite any longer. Sora wished _desperately_ to be able to put his arms around his wife, to offer any comfort to both himself and to her, but he knew that he could not. He was only able to slowly rock back and forth, rocking Kairi along with him as her arms clutched him securely.

Princess Leia had found some small solace in the hairy embrace of Chewbacca, and the Wookiee turned his body toward her so that he might comfort her. This change in position finally gave C-3PO a good look at what had become of Han Solo. "Oh… they've encased him in carbonite." he pointed out, sounding not at all saddened by this turn of events. "He should be quite well protected—if he survived the freezing process, that is."

Lando Calrissian slowly approached Han Solo's frozen form, knelt beside it, and checked its readouts once more. After he had been given a moment to decipher the meaning of these readouts, Darth Vader questioned, "Well, Calrissian, did he survive?"

Everyone listened with bated breath for the answer. "Yes, he's alive." Lando informed the Sith Lord. "And in perfect hibernation."

Kairi couldn't help but think that this was a small consolation. Han Solo was alive, for now at least. Humans _could_ survive the carbon freezing process. _So maybe_… she found herself thinking, though she felt terribly selfish for it, _maybe there's still a chance for Sora_.

Lando backed away from Han with the same caution he had exercised when approaching. Once Lando was safely out of the way, Darth Vader turned to Boba Fett. "He's all yours, bounty hunter."

Boba Fett only nodded in response.

Darth Vader next looked to the Ugnaughts. "Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

Kairi _hated_ this news, and she could tell that Sora didn't care for it either, though it should not have been a surprise to either of them. They knew that Luke was going to be frozen in carbonite and shipped to the emperor (if Vader's plans proved successful). Still, until this moment, she had always maintained the hope that Sora would somehow be kept alive. She had tried to hang on to the possibility that Darth Vader would freeze Sora in the same manner that he froze Han, but that hope had vanished with the Sith Lord's single command.

Vader had no intention of freezing Sora.

Vader was going to_ murder_ Sora.

Murder. There was no other word for it. Sora would not die in battle, would not go down fighting. Even _that_ would have done the Keyblade Master a _little_ justice. But no. Darth Vader wasn't even giving Sora a chance to _fight_. And even if he did, what good would it do? Sora's arm was still suffering from the lightsaber wound that Vader himself had inflicted. Sora was in no condition to face someone as powerful as Vader. Not like _this_.

Sora was going to die. Kairi would be a widow at only twenty-one years old. Their child would be fatherless before it was ever born.

And it was all Darth Vader's fault.

Kairi had just begun to let her tears fall when an Imperial officer descended the stairs to meet Darth Vader on the platform. The officer stopped only a few short paces away from Vader and reported, "Skywalker has just landed, my lord."

"Good." Darth Vader acknowledged. "See to it that he finds his way in here."

Without another word, the Imperial officer turned about and rushed off to do as his lord had commanded. So _that_ was how it was going to be. Darth Vader would have his lackeys lead Luke down to this chamber, which would give the Sith Lord ample time to dispose of the injured Keyblade Master.

Kairi felt the urge to hold Sora even more tightly than she already was, but she reminded herself that he would be unable to breathe if she did so. In the end, Kairi could only rest her head gently on Sora's chest, her ear close enough to his heart for her to hear it beating. She was filled with the cold dread that she would never hear that heartbeat again, and she suddenly found that she could not force herself to stop listening. She kept her ear pressed firmly to Sora's chest as she watched Lando Calrissian saunter toward Leia and try to take her arm. Kairi was relieved to see Leia pull her arm away. Leia was not that desperate yet, even though she had just witnessed the man she loved become a carbonite statue. Kairi took courage from Leia's strength of heart, and vowed to be just as strong when Darth Vader finally took her Sora away from her.

Darth Vader had been watching this group for the last moment with what appeared to be mild interest. However, the Sith Lord had finally decided that enough was enough. "Calrissian, take the queen, the princess, and the Wookiee to my ship. It would be _unpleasant_ for Kairi to remain here during Sora's execution."

Kairi was outraged. She didn't know why she was getting such special treatment, and she didn't care. She was only a few moments away from never seeing the man she loved again, and all Darth Vader could say was that it would be _unpleasant_? It was going to be _unpleasant_ when Kairi took Darth Vader's lightsaber and shoved it up his—

"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision!" Lando Calrissian exclaimed, also upset by Darth Vader's command.

Darth Vader was not moved. "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

Darth Vader turned around in order to address his Imperial Stormtroopers. While the Sith Lord's back was turned, Lando instinctively brought a hand to his throat. He had witnessed firsthand what it meant to invoke Vader's wrath, and Lando had no intention of adding his name to the Sith Lord's already lengthy hit list.

Lando cast a glance at Lobot. Lobot returned the look. They knew what they had to do, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Just then, Darth Vader returned to his position at the center of the platform, four Stormtroopers following behind him. Vader inclined his head toward Sora and Kairi, and the royal couple watched in horror as the white-armored figures approached them. They formed a circle around the pair, aiming their blaster rifles directly at their heads. "You heard the man." one said, this one a Jango Fett clone. "It's time to move."

Kairi didn't budge. She was still not ready to believe that this was her last moment with Sora. She would _never_ be ready to believe it. She was about to tell those Stormtroopers exactly what they could do when their blaster rifles, but something stopped her—something that had always stopped her in the past, and that she hoped beyond hope would be there to stop her in the future.

It was Sora's voice.

"Go on, Kairi." Sora told his wife, trying unsuccessfully to flash her his trademark smile. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

Kairi was sure that all the tears in her eyes had already been spent, but more began to choke her voice as she closed her eyes and buried her face in Sora's chest. "Sora, I just can't _leave_ you here. I can't let you _die_!"

Sora did not sound forceful (in fact, he sounded as loving as ever), but he was still quite firm when he issued his response. "Kairi, _look_ at me."

Slowly, reluctantly, Kairi did so. When she did, what she found there shocked her. There was no more pain in Sora's eyes. There was no fear, no worry, no regret for the life that was about to be taken from him. In his eyes was only the fierce determination of one of the greatest Keyblade Masters to ever exist. It was that resolute look in his eyes and tone of his voice that made Kairi believe him with absolute certainty when he said, "I'll be all right. It's _you_ I'm worried about. Just _go_. When I get out of this, I'll find you if I have to tear this whole galaxy apart."

And then, despite the restraints that held him back, despite the lightsaber wound that still plagued his shoulder, Sora bent down and kissed her. Kairi recognized this kiss… it was the very same kiss he had given her before leaping into the Black Cauldron three years before. Like then, Kairi was sure that Sora would somehow make it out alive. After all, he had made it this far. Surely he was not meant to make his final stand here, in a dark room in a galaxy not his own, without even a chance to so much as fight back.

At last, the kiss ended, and Kairi knew it was time to say goodbye. She finally released Sora and allowed the Stormtroopers to escort her (along with Leia and Chewbacca) away from the carbon-freezing chamber. All the while, though, she had but a single thought upon her mind:

_Don't let me down, Sora. I'm counting on you._

* * *

Luke Skywalker was surprised, to say the least.

Luke had been able to land his X-wing without difficulty, not far from where he'd spotted the _Millennium Falcon_ on Platform 327. The spotlessly white halls of Cloud City's buildings were quiet enough as Luke and R2-D2 traversed it, and Luke hadn't made contact with a single soul since his arrival. No one had greeted him upon his landing platform, no one had welcomed him into the building where he now stood, and no one had so much as entered the same _hallway_. No footsteps sounded upon the floors, and there was no sign of the usual clamor that filled the air of populous cities like this one. Actually, as far as Luke could tell, there was no sign of life _anywhere_.

Luke couldn't help but wonder, _Where _is _everybody?_

His silent question was left unanswered as he approached a side hallway. He peeked around the corner to see if it was connected to another corridor, or if anybody might actually _be_ in there. He had just decided to enter this side passage (which, like all the halls preceding it, was empty) when he could suddenly hear footsteps. Footsteps in hallways as abnormally quiet as this one were usually a bad sign, so Luke decided to be cautious.

Luke quickly pulled back and pulled his trusty blaster pistol from its holster. He had his lightsaber with him, of course, but he was still uncomfortable with its use. He was nowhere _near_ being an actual Jedi yet, and the constant arguments between Mickey and Yoda had often confused Luke. He was much more comfortable with his pistol, and he was beginning to consider one of the first tidbits of advice he'd been given from Han Solo: _Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side._

Luke could not argue the results that Jedi and Keybearers both yielded, but Luke had decided that now was not the time to experiment with being a Jedi. Lives were at stake here.

Gripping his blaster tightly, Luke dared to peek out from his hiding place to see who was coming down the corridor. To his great surprise, _Boba Fett_, reputedly the greatest bounty hunter to ever live, was strolling down the hall. Luke nearly flinched as he saw Boba Fett's head tilt ever so slightly, as though he were about to turn and face Luke. However, Boba never fully turned his head as he walked, so Luke was fairly secure in the knowledge that he had not been discovered. However, he was now hopelessly puzzled. What was Boba doing in Cloud City? Had he succeeded in capturing Han, upon whose head Luke knew there was a massive bounty? Was _this_ what Luke's prophetic vision had been about? Were Darth Vader and the emperor _really_ involved with Boba Fett? Or had Yoda, Obi-Wan, and King Mickey all been wrong?

Luke did not want to believe that the three wisest beings he knew of had made a mistake, but he had to admit, things were definitely _off_ here. Luke watched cautiously as Boba continued on down the hall, followed by a floating slab of metal. Luke couldn't tell what purpose this slab could serve, or even what it _looked_ like, and he paid it no heed. The floating slab (suspended in the air with the aid of a repulsor sled—an antigravity device to aid in the transport of large or heavy objects) was followed by a pair of Cloud City guards, dressed in identical blue uniforms. These guards preceded a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers, whose very presence confirmed Luke's greatest fears.

The Empire _was_ occupying Cloud City. Darth Vader _had_ to be here.

Luke held his breath, waiting for the grim procession to pass. Boba Fett led the train down the hall and around a corner, where Luke finally lost sight of them. Luke stepped into the corridor in order to follow them.

That was a mistake.

Boba Fett happened to be standing near the very corner that had first obstructed the procession from Luke's view. Boba took aim at Luke the moment he emerged, and opened fire with his large blaster rifle.

Luke ducked back into the hall from which he had emerged. The blaster bolt from Boba's rifle whizzed harmlessly into a wall. Luke resisted the urge to smack his forehead. How had he forgotten? Boba Fett wouldn't be the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy if he couldn't so much as detect when he was being followed. While Luke mentally slapped himself for being such an idiot, Boba fired off three more blaster shots. Two of them smashed into the wall very near Luke's position; the last bolt Boba fired followed the trajectory of the first, sending it crashing into a wall.

R2-D2 was beside Luke, beeping anxiously. Luke reached down and patted R2-D2's dome, doing his best to assure the droid that everything would be all right. Of course, both Luke and R2-D2 knew better than to believe _that_. They were cornered by a bounty hunter on a planet occupied by Imperial forces, and they would probably be fried before they even _reached_ Darth Vader. The looks of the walls didn't help bolster Luke's confidence, either; the spots where Boba's blaster bolts had impacted now bore smoldering black scorch marks.

However, when Luke finally dared to see if Boba Fett was still shooting at him, the bounty hunter was gone. Luke dashed off to try to pick up the bounty hunter's trail, but what he saw was something far worse. A dark-skinned man with a flowing blue cape was leading yet another procession, this once consisting of an Imperial lieutenant, four Stormtroopers, and four captives. Luke immediately recognized Leia and Chewbacca, with C-3PO strapped to Chewbacca's back, but the fourth prisoner took longer for Luke to recognize. Judging from her shoulder-length auburn hair and bright indigo eyes, this fourth captive must have been Kairi, of whom Mickey and Riku had occasionally spoken while on Dagobah. But if Kairi was here, then where was _Sora_? And what of Han Solo? Had Boba Fett captured him after all, and taken Sora as a bonus? Or was there something more sinister afoot here?

Luke had little time to venture a guess. As the dark-skinned man began to open a nearby door, the four Stormtroopers took up firing position. The Imperial lieutenant seized Leia by the arms and began to drag her along, intending to use her body as a shield just in case things got hairy.

Luke leaped against the nearest wall in an attempt to dodge the Stormtroopers' blaster fire. More blaster bolts followed the first, but Luke dared not return fire as he watched the dark-skinned man finally open the door. Luke did his best to avoid the Stormtroopers' blaster bolts as he watched Chewbacca and Kairi be forcefully shoved through the open doorway. Leia must have finally taken notice of who the Stormtroopers' target was, and she cried out, "Luke! Luke, don't, it's a trap!"

The Imperial lieutenant still gripped Leia tightly, and he tried to pull her through the doorway, but Leia held fast. "_It's a trap_!" she managed to scream in desperation, but then the Imperial lieutenant overpowered her and pulled her away. One Stormtrooper fired two more shots at Luke for good measure, then proceeded through the same door as the others.

Luke hesitated for a moment, trying to reach a decision. His suspicions had been true: Cloud City was a trap. However, if he didn't take the bait, then what would become of his friends? Luke knew that there was naught for him to do but to spring the trap, whatever it may be, and do his best to get himself—along with his friends, he hoped—out of it alive.

Luke ran for the open doorway where he'd seen the Imperials depart, hoping to find some clue of just _how_ to save them. He knew what he had to do, and a bit of Yoda's teachings still lingered in Luke's mind as he pressed on:

_Do. Or do not. There is no try._

* * *

**A/N: The end. Of this chapter, anyway. And guess what? The line system works again, so my scene transitions look halfway normal! Huzzah!**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! We are exactly three reviews away from victory, so if you can't reach that goal now, it's just sad. So with our goal all but met, I must thank you all for helping to reach it. I have garnered many loyal reviewers over the course of this story, and I hope that I will continue to hear from each of you as the stroy goes on. Actually, I think if we really put our minds to it, we can reach TWO hundred reviews for this story. Wouldn't that be something?**

**Well, I think that's all for today, so:**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	12. Confronting Vader: Part One

**A/N: I bring you greetings from beyond the grave... I am kidding, of course, but it does seem like I've been dead for a while, since I haven't updated for nearly three weeks. I feel terrible about it, and even the chapter I HAVE posted is a bit shorter than the norm. But alas, the player of the game of life knows not what cards he might be dealt (actually, I think that was pretty good... I should write fortune cookies!). But here is a chapter nonetheless, and I do hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Confronting Vader: Part One**

In the dark depths of the carbon-freezing chamber, Sora and Darth Vader stood face to face. The Stormtroopers, Cloud City guards, and Imperial officers had all gone away, leaving the Dark Lord of the Sith and the Keyblade Master alone. For a moment after his friends' departure, Sora had only stared into the cold, black lenses of Darth Vader's helmet, waiting for the Sith Lord to make a move. Vader had merely returned Sora's gaze, his deep, heavy breathing the only sound inside the chamber for what had seemed like an eternity.

At last, Darth Vader slowly and deliberately removed his lightsaber from his belt. There was a distinct humming noise as the lightsaber was ignited, the crimson blade seeming to sprout directly from Vader's closed fist. "Now, Sora, the time has come for you to die."

"The only one dying here today is _you_, Vader." Sora retorted. His finger twitched and the Oathkeeper appeared in his hand, and with a flick of Sora's wrist his restraints were sliced neatly in two. His hands now free, Sora brought the Oathkeeper in front of him and pointed it toward Vader. There was a nasty snarl on Sora's face as he spat, "You picked a bad time to mess with me."

"The feeling is mutual." Darth Vader answered sharply as he strode across the platform upon which he and Sora stood, his breathing becoming just a little louder as he did so. And with that retort, the conversation was over.

The duel had begun.

Darth Vader brought his lightsaber down hard upon Sora, who brought the Oathkeeper up in order to guard. A stab of searing pain entered Sora's shoulder as his keyblade made impact with Vader's lightsaber, and the sudden jolt weakened the strength of his parry. With a second push, Darth Vader overpowered Sora's defense, forcing the Keyblade Master to leap backward. As he did so, Sora fired a Blizzaga spell from his keyblade, sending an icicle as sharp as a spearhead hurtling toward Darth Vader.

Darth Vader (whose lightsaber technique usually involved a two-handed grip) removed his left hand from his lightsaber and with it reached out to the Force; the Force responded by altering the icicle's trajectory so that it missed Vader's body by a quarter of an inch. It landed somewhere behind Vader with a loud _crash_, but the Sith Lord hardly acknowledged it.

Sora was already on the move again.

Sora dashed toward Darth Vader and aimed a diagonal slash at him, but Vader easily batted the Oathkeeper aside with his lightsaber. Sora tried again with a vertical chop, but Vader easily parried, bringing his lightsaber up with only his right hand. When the keyblade and lightsaber made impact, Vader pushed forward with enough strength to send Sora stumbling backward. Sora recovered his balance quickly, however, and a Firaga spell soon erupted from the tip of the Oathkeeper. Darth Vader caught the flames with his lightsaber, which for a moment made the scarlet plasma of the blade seem to glow even brighter.

By the time the flames of the Firaga spell had dissipated, Sora was already aiming another diagonal slash at the Sith Lord. Darth Vader caught this blow and effortlessly shunted it aside, forcing the Oathkeeper down and temporarily out of the way. Darth Vader took advantage of the opportunity to thrust his lightsaber at Sora's heart, and it took all that Sora had to guard against the blow. Sora tried to turn his parry into a sweep at Vader's legs, but the Dark Lord of the Sith brought his lightsaber down in time to counter this attack. Sora was about to bring the Oathkeeper up for another strike, but before he could do so, Darth Vader brought up his booted foot and kicked Sora squarely in the gut.

Sora tumbled to the floor, the wind completely knocked from his lungs and his body racked with sudden agony. The searing pain in Sora's shoulder had gotten worse with every impact his keyblade had made with Vader's lightsaber, and it now burned so badly that Sora felt as though it could burst into flame at any time. Sora was at least a little thankful that no bones had been broken, but he could only imagine what kind of bruise Vader's kick had left on his stomach.

Darth Vader's loud breathing hadn't fluctuated even once. The Sith Lord did not look tired at all as he approached the spot where Sora lay. "This is the second time you have disappointed me, Sora. Your powers of light are far weaker than the emperor had imagined."

"Maybe you should fight fair." Sora grunted as he slowly rose to his feet, though his legs were shaky and his left hand instinctively went to his burning right shoulder.

Darth Vader looked ready to bring his lightsaber down on Sora again, but he suddenly froze. "Skywalker approaches. I no longer have time for you."

Before Sora could react, Darth Vader brought his left hand forward, sending a ripple of energy through the Force. This energy caught Sora in the chest, sending him flying backward. By the time Sora managed to right himself, it was already too late. Sora toppled from the edge of the platform, creating a loud _clang_ as he fell hard upon one of the metal pipes running along the floor below. That was _definitely_ going to leave a mark, Sora knew, but he had little time to act upon this knowledge.

Sora heard a distinct _hiss_ as Darth Vader deactivated his lightsaber, followed by the clinking of heavy boots upon metal stairs. Despite this, however, Sora knew that Darth Vader was not leaving. He was positioning himself, determining which spot would give him the greatest advantage over Luke Skywalker when he arrived.

Summoning the last of his energy, Sora cast a Curaga spell upon himself, greatly easing the burning in his shoulder and all but eliminating the pain in his abdominals. Even so, Sora did not yet opt to strike at Vader again. If Luke was coming, then why not wait for him to arrive? Darth Vader was obviously too powerful for Sora to face alone in his injured state, but perhaps with _help_…

Sora only hoped that Luke would arrive soon.

* * *

Luke's blaster pistol was primed and ready as he proceeded down the halls of the Cloud City complex, searching for any sign of his captured friends. He had lost track of the procession as it had rounded a corner, but Luke was confident that he would find it again. He first dashed into a small, dark antechamber, moving so quickly that R2-D2 was left tootling along in his wake. As the astromech droid tried to catch up, however, the antechamber door slammed down and locked, leaving Luke trapped within and R2-D2 trapped without.

Young Skywalker was on his own this time.

Luke looked around the antechamber, looking for any sign of his friends. When he found none, he instead began searching for an exit. After a moment, he stumbled upon an open elevator tube. The elevator's floor was round in shape, only able to accommodate one passenger at a time. _Maybe it's for the best that Artoo got locked outside_. Luke found himself thinking as he entered the elevator.

An instant later, the elevator had already whooshed through the ceiling of the antechamber. Luke now found himself standing at the center of a large circular platform in the middle of a large, dark room. Eerie red lights and large quantities of steam filled the chamber, making it seem rather like the inside of some heating implement set on "high."

Luke had little time to admire his surroundings before a metal grate slid over the elevator shaft, locking the elevator in place.

Luke nearly jolted in surprise. His fears had been confirmed. Yes, Leia had said he was walking into a trap, but only after hearing that grate slam shut did Luke truly understand: he had been set up from the beginning. Just by landing on Bespin, he had walked into a trap. He had followed the irresistible bait of his friends' capture, and allowed it to lead him all the way here, to the point of no return. Now the only remaining mystery was _who_ had set this trap, but Luke knew _that_ answer before his mind even registered the question.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker."

Luke whipped around, immediately recognizing the owner of the cold, deep voice as it continued, "But you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke didn't answer. His mind was racing too quickly. Here, standing before him, was the entity that had haunted Luke—and the _galaxy_, for that matter—since the day he'd been born. Here was the man responsible for this despicable trap, the _monster_ behind the capture of Luke's dearest friends. Here was the black opposition to everything that Luke and his allies had ever stood for.

Here was Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Darth Vader stood above Luke, at the top of the stairs that led from the platform in the center of the chamber to the catwalk surrounding it. Luke quickly holstered his blaster pistol as he looked upon the Sith Lord, for he knew that blasters were more than useless against Vader. Luke slowly ascended the stairs, and Darth Vader took a step back in order for Luke to reach the catwalk. There was a small pause as Luke Skywalker looked squarely into the black lenses of Darth Vader's helmet, and the Sith Lord returned the stare. When the pause ended, Luke knew there was only one thing to do.

Luke Skywalker took up his father's lightsaber—the lightsaber he had hardly used since Obi-Wan Kenobi had first passed it on to him. A bar of glowing blue plasma erupted from the lightsaber's handgrip as Luke drew nearer to the Sith Lord. As he did so, Luke found himself calling out to the Force, begging that it might guide him against such a formidable adversary.

Darth Vader remained perfectly calm as his own lightsaber sprang to life, releasing a bar of shining crimson from the handgrip. There was a distinct crackling sound as the two lightsabers met for the first time: one the color of the sky on a clear summer day, the other the shade of blood flowing from a fresh wound.

Luke attacked Vader with a powerful horizontal slash, but Vader parried only too easily. Luke was quick to recover, this time aiming a vertical chop at Vader's helmeted head. The Sith Lord brought his lightsaber up with his right hand, intercepting the blow, then pushed forward with enough strength to send Luke to the floor. Luke was back on his feet in a flash, and then decided that it was time for a new strategy.

He assumed a defensive position.

Luke cringed as he heard Darth Vader's ominous breathing, but he held his ground as the Dark Lord of the Sith began to move toward him. Vader aimed a quick slash to Luke's midsection, but even that quick blow proved a bit difficult to parry. Vader's second stroke, one which brought his blade over Luke's head to reach the other side of his body, was equally quick, but equally powerful. _He's more machine now than man,_ Luke remembered Obi-Wan telling him years ago, _twisted and evil_. Obi-Wan's words proved to be true; Darth Vader's every movement was powered by vast mechanical strength, far greater than that of any normal human being.

Suddenly, a shape emerged from the floor below the central platform of the chamber, launching into the air with such speed that the human eye could barely follow it. Luke only caught this movement out of the corner of his eye, and dared not look at it further—Darth Vader was still on the offensive, his mighty lightsaber blows only barely kept in check by Skywalker's hasty parries. However, Luke knew that the shape must have been a man, for accompanying it was a voice. "Hey, Vader! We're not through yet!"

Suddenly, Darth Vader reached out with his left hand, sending a push through the Force that caused Luke to stumble backward. The Sith Lord then turned his head, pointing his lightsaber in the direction of this new player in the great game that this lightsaber duel had become. "Ah, _Sora_." the Sith Lord addressed the newcomer. "I see you have not yet come to your senses and surrendered."

This man—_Sora_, Vader had called him—only flashed a wide grin. "Me? Never."

Luke Skywalker took advantage of Darth Vader's distraction, using the opportunity to catch his breath. So _this_ was Sora: a man of about Luke's age, perhaps a little younger, with caramel-colored hair that spiked in all directions. Luke recognized Sora's strange weapon as a keyblade, and he hoped that Sora was as good a warrior as everyone had led him to believe. Luke had to admit that Sora didn't _look_ like a conventional warrior, but all that time with Mickey and Yoda had taught Luke that looks could be deceiving.

Darth Vader reached his hand toward Sora, and the Keyblade Master felt the powerful grip of invisible fingers around his throat—a sensation to which he had become accustomed since his arrival in Cloud City. This time, however, there was enough room for Sora to counteract this by hurling his keyblade at the Sith Lord. Vader was forced to release his choke as he brought his lightsaber up to bat the Oathkeeper aside.

Before the Sith Lord could make another move toward Sora, however, Luke sprang to his feet and aimed a vertical chop at Vader with all his might. Vader was forced to grip his own blade with both hands in order to block this vicious attack, but block it he did. Darth Vader pushed back on Luke's lightsaber, forcing Luke to take a step back. Darth Vader prepared to aim a diagonal slash at Luke, but before he could do so, Sora had already called the Oathkeeper back to his hand and leaped forward, hoping to strike at Vader from behind. Sora aimed his own slash at Vader, which the Sith Lord parried with ease. Luke began aiming strikes at Vader from behind, but with a redoubling of his efforts, Vader was able to hold both Luke and Sora at bay. However, Vader knew that he could not face a two-pronged attack of this nature for long.

As he brought his lightsaber behind him to guard against another of Luke's slashes, Darth Vader aimed a high kick at Sora. The Sith Lord's booted foot crashed against Sora's chest, which sent the Keyblade Master flying backward. By the time Sora was on his feet again, Darth Vader had already circled around Luke, making it impossible for Sora to reach Vader without leaping over his and Luke's heads. Acknowledging that leaping over Darth Vader's head could prove fatal, Sora was forced to hang back and watch for a moment or two as Vader and Luke continued to trade blows.

And this was only the beginning.

* * *

_I hope Sora's doing better than we are._ Kairi thought to herself as she continued to march. She, Leia, and Chewbacca (the latter of whom was still carrying a very flustered C-3PO on his back) were being led down yet _another_ of Cloud City's seemingly infinite corridors. Two Stormtroopers guarded the rear flank of the group of prisoners, and a second pair guarded the front; leading the procession were Lando and the same Imperial lieutenant who'd tried to use Leia as a human shield a few moments ago.

Kairi had been silent throughout the entire journey, though her heart had skipped a beat when she'd seen Luke finally appear. She hoped beyond hope that Luke would be able to find Sora and help him before it was too late. The alternative was too horrible for Kairi to imagine without tears stinging the backs of her eyes. And, Kairi reflected, it was all the fault of Lando Calrissian. _If we ever get out of here alive, I swear I'm gonna kill him_. Kairi vowed silently, glaring daggers into the back of his head. _Let's see you try to flash that stupid smile when you don't have any teeth._

Kairi was still fuming when she spotted Lobot out of the corner of her eye, approaching with a band of Cloud City guards. More guards emerged from adjoining hallways soon after, surrounding the procession and pointing their lustrous blaster pistols at the Imperial lieutenant and his Stormtroopers. Caught with inferior numbers and no prepared strategy, the Stormtroopers quickly threw their hands up, offering up their blaster rifles in a display of surrender.

After shoving the Imperial lieutenant toward one of the Cloud City guards, Lando proceeded to relieve the Stormtroopers of their weapons. "Well done." he said to Lobot as he did so. "Hold them in the security tower—and keep it quiet. Move."

Lobot wordlessly led the Cloud City guards and their new Imperial prisoners down another corridor, leaving Lando alone with Leia, Kairi, and Chewbacca. Lando handed two blaster rifles to Leia, and another to Kairi. Kairi looked at Lando with a bewildered expression on her face. She didn't know _what_ to think—Lando had indirectly condemned Sora to death and Han to lifetime imprisonment, and now he was handing them _weapons_?

Princess Leia was no less confused. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"We're getting out of here." Lando answered as he began fiddling with the locks on Chewbacca's manacles.

"I knew all along." C-3PO added from his cargo net on Chewbacca's back, sounding quite relieved. "It had to be a mistake."

Kairi, however, did not share this sentiment. She had been taken to a strange galaxy, nearly gotten crushed by asteroids, chased and captured by the Empire, and forced to sit and watch as her husband was tortured and later sentenced to death. Though she still had hope that Sora would somehow survive, that hope wasn't _nearly_ enough to ease the worry and doubt that ate at her heart like a thing alive.

Simply put, Kairi was an _angry pregnant lady_.

Kairi huffed indignantly and crossed her arms, shooting Lando one of the angriest glares to ever appear upon her face. "A _mistake_?" she repeated. "The only _mistake_ here is if Lando thinks that this covers up for everything he's done."

While Kairi had been speaking, Lando had managed to free Chewbacca's wrists from their restraints. But before Lando could offer a rebuttal, the Wookiee had already lashed out and seized Lando's throat in his powerful, hairy hands. "I had no choice!" Lando gasped, hoping to assuage both Kairi's and Chewbacca's tempers. And Lando could tell by the look in her eyes that Princess Leia didn't like him very much either.

The only one who seemed to be on Lando's side was the mutilated droid on Chewbacca's back. "What are you doing?" C-3PO exclaimed. "Trust him! Trust him!"

"Oh, so we understand, don't we, Chewie?" Leia snapped. "He had _no choice_."

Chewbacca tightened his grip on Lando's throat and forced him to his knees. So constricted was Lando's windpipe that he could only murmur weakly, "I'm just trying to help…"

"Like you helped Han get frozen?" Kairi retorted, her voice elevating to a bit of a shout. "Or like you helped _Sora _get set up to be _executed_?"

Chewbacca's grip on Lando's neck tightened. With his windpipe under such pressure, Lando found it too difficult to even speak. All he could do was gasp, "Ha-a-a-a-_an_."

Leia froze. If Lando had said what she thought he'd said, then it was of dire importance. "What?" she asked.

"It sounds like 'Han.'" C-3PO pointed out.

Knowing that he'd finally gotten someone's attention, Lando struggled with Chewbacca's hands in order to pant, "There's still a chance to save Han." Lando felt Chewbacca's grip loosen just a little as the Wookiee prompted him with a growl. "At the east…" Lando took a deep breath and finished, "platform."

Leia now looked hopeful, but Kairi's stare was still burning with fury. That deep breath had left Lando with enough air to say, "I'm sorry about Sora, but if we don't move, we'll lose Han too."

That didn't improve Kairi's mood much, but Leia finally nodded to Chewbacca. "Chewie." she said, prompting the Wookiee to release Lando's throat. Lando instantly slumped to the floor and clutched at his throat, his eyes wide. Leia and Chewbacca instantly rushed off to find the east platform, but Kairi lingered for a moment. While Lando was still gasping to catch his breath, Kairi's hand lashed out…

_Smack!_

The sound echoed throughout the entire corridor as Kairi's hand impacted with Lando's face. "You better hope Sora gets out of this alive." the queen of Radiant Garden said sharply before rushing off to join her friends.

Just ahead of him, Lando heard C-3PO call out, "I'm terribly sorry about all this! After all, he's only a Wookiee. And poor Miss Kairi _is_ with child!"

Lando slowly rose to his feet and instinctively touched his cheek, which still stung quite a bit. That woman packed quite a wallop! In spite of himself, Lando briefly entertained the question of whether she had ever slapped _Sora_ like that or not. An instant later, he dismissed the thought with a shrug, knowing that it wasn't likely. Lando dashed after the others, hoping to catch up with them before it was too late. It was indeed true that Lando hadn't proven himself to be very trustworthy of late, but he _did_ still consider Han Solo his friend.

If there was a way to save him, Lando wanted to be there.

* * *

In the carbon-freezing chamber below, the duel between Vader, Luke, and Sora was still taking place. It had been going on for at least a few minutes, and yet the Dark Lord of the Sith had lost none of his power or vitality since the duel had begun. Sora and Luke, on the other hand, were both sweating profusely. Physical exertion was quickly overheating their bodies, and the humid atmosphere of the chamber itself only sped this process along. Sora half-consciously noted that, as a result of this humidity, the spikes of his hair were beginning to droop. Despite all this, Sora and Luke were still managing to match Darth Vader blow for blow, never giving the Sith Lord an opportunity to strike them down.

Luke and Sora were still facing Darth Vader upon the catwalk encircling the chamber. As Sora aimed a low sweep at Vader's legs (which was quickly parried), Luke reached out to the Force and used it to leap just over Vader's head. Vader, his lightsaber too low to attack Luke while he'd been in the air, instead brought his lightsaber up to meet Luke's when he landed. "You have learned much, young one." Darth Vader told Luke before spinning around to deter a vertical chop that Sora had aimed at his head.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises." Luke retorted, taking advantage of Vader's brief distraction to aim a powerful slash at the Sith Lord. However, with speed surprising for one so large, Darth Vader whipped about and used all his impressive strength to swat Luke's lightsaber aside. The blow was so powerful, in fact, that it sent Luke's lightsaber flying right out of his hand; it clattered onto the large central platform below the catwalk, well out of Luke's reach.

Darth Vader was now able to give Sora his full attention as Luke cast himself down the stairway that led to the platform, pain racking his body as stair after stair met him on his way down. Luke decided that he would take advantage of Darth Vader's present distraction and spend a moment to recover.

Sora fought gallantly in the face of the Sith Lord, but the Keyblade master could not ignore the lightsaber wound that still plagued his shoulder. It burned more intensely with each blow he traded with Vader, and even the passage of time seemed to increase the intensity of the wound. Sora tried to find a single opportunity to heal himself, but Vader was relentless in his onslaught of slashes and thrusts. His crimson lightsaber was a constant blur of motion, and Sora found no such opportunity.

Darth Vader swung his lightsaber down upon Sora once more, this time with enough strength to cause Sora' knees to buckle as he attempted to deflect the blow. When Darth Vader saw this, he saw his chance to end this duel quickly; his lightsaber still keeping the Oathkeeper at bay, Vader thrust his empty fist into Sora's stomach.

The wind knocked out of him and his shoulder burning intensely, Sora could do nothing but fall.

Darth Vader's gaze again turned to Luke.

Luke Skywalker saw what had happened and, realizing that his moment of reprieve was over, began searching desperately for his lightsaber. However, he found himself unable to find it before Darth Vader leaped, passing over the stairs and landing with a harsh, metallic _clang_ upon the central platform. Luke instinctively flinched for a moment, but then looked up to find Vader's lightsaber mere inches from his face.

Luke scrambled back to his feet and backed away, considering the possibility of his lightsaber having sprouted legs and run out of the chamber when he hadn't been looking. He couldn't find it _anywhere_, and it was much too dark in the carbon-freezing chamber to go lightsaber hunting in the fist place. But Luke knew that he wouldn't be much help to Sora without it, so he continued to scan the chamber for any sign of his weapon.

Darth Vader began advancing toward Luke with lightsaber extended, forcing young Skywalker to keep backing away. "_Your_ destiny lies with _me_, Skywalker." the Sith Lord said as he advanced. "Obi-Wan _knew_ this to be true."

Luke Skywalker only stared coldly into the lenses of Darth Vader's helmet. His tone matched his stare as he declared, "_No_."

Darth Vader continued to step toward Skywalker, until Luke found himself at the very edge of the carbon-freezing pit at the center of the platform. Then the Sith Lord swiped just in front of Luke's midsection with his lightsaber. Luke reflexively flinched when he saw the oncoming strike, which caused him to lose his footing and plunge into the pit below.

"All too easy." Vader observed, pointing to a nearby control panel. He reached out with the Force and pulled one of the levers on the panel, which caused steam and smoke to come billowing forth from the pit. But Vader had neglected to keep an eye on the pit, and he had not seen that, while his head was turned, Luke had managed to leap up from the pit and grab onto one of the pipes that hung from the ceiling.

Vader looked down into the pit and stated, "Perhaps neither of you is as strong as the emperor thought."

"Or maybe we _are_!"

Darth Vader whipped around to see Sora standing on the catwalk, looking down on him with a smirk. Sora had managed to cast a Curaga spell upon himself, restoring the breath to his lungs and temporarily alleviating the burning in his shoulder. Sora leaped into the air and somersaulted over the stairs, landing only a few feet away from Vader with Oathkeeper in hand. "Now who's up for Round Two?"

"Impressive." Darth Vader remarked, poising his lightsaber to attack. But before another blow could be traded, there was suddenly a loud _crash_ from the ceiling as Luke lost his grip on one of the overhanging pipes. "_Most_ impressive." Vader mused before swinging his lightsaber at Luke. Luke managed to swing his body away from the Sith Lord's blade, and Vader's attack cut only through one of the hoses dangling from the ceiling. Steam billowed forth from both halves of the hose as Luke leaped down to the floor. Vader prepared to strike at Luke again, but Sora intercepted him with the Oathkeeper. This gave Luke enough time to locate his lightsaber, which had rolled to the opposite end of the platform. Sora stepped away from Vader as Luke ignited his weapon, and Darth Vader's crimson blade clashed with Luke Skywalker's cerulean one.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well." Darth Vader told Luke. "You have controlled your fear."

Darth Vader aimed a downward chop at Luke, which was quickly parried. Sora's keyblade came down for a sweep at Vader's legs, but Vader brought his lightsaber down to meet it as he recovered from Luke's parry. Luke aimed a slash at Vader's neck that would have decapitated the Sith Lord, but Vader was quick to repel this attack. "Now," Darth Vader said, the lenses of his helmet fixed on Luke's eyes, "_release_ your anger. Only your _hatred_ can destroy me."

"You're _wrong_!" Sora shouted, sidestepping to Darth Vader's rear flank and aiming a thrust at his back. Vader wheeled about just in time to bat Sora's keyblade aside. Luke looked at where Sora and Vader fought, then looked at where he was standing. Darth Vader's back was now to the unguarded edge of the platform, and he was only a few paces away from plummeting off the edge!

Luke leaped over Vader's head and landed just to Sora's left. The two fought side by side against the Sith Lord, always pressing forward. Sora first came forth with a low thrust that would have lodged the Oathkeeper in Darth Vader's knee, but Vader stepped back and managed to counter this blow. Luke next stepped forward and aimed a sweep at Vader's middle, but the Sith Lord stepped back again and managed to bring his lightsaber up to guard. Then Sora and Luke attacked together, Sora with a high thrust and Luke with a low sweep. Vader stepped back once more to avoid this sweep, then whacked Sora's thrust aside.

Now, Darth Vader was on the very edge of the platform.

Sora and Luke shared a small, knowing glance. Then Luke attacked first, aiming a diagonal slash at Vader's shoulder that was uncharacteristically wide and sloppy. Darth Vader reached up with his lightsaber to repel this clumsy attack. Sora then acted as though he were going to follow up Luke's slash with one of his own, and Vader maneuvered so that he might deflect it. But this had been a feint; instead, Sora summoned all the strength available to him and thrust his foot into Vader's stomach. Vader audibly grunted as the impact forced him backward, sending him over the edge of the platform and down to the floor several feet below.

Or so he thought.

Sora had perked up his ears after Vader had fallen, hoping to hear the metallic _clang_ as Vader's body collided with the floor. But this noise did not come, and after a moment, Sora became concerned. He looked down to the spot where he was sure Vader had landed, but found no trace of either the Sith Lord or his shining crimson lightsaber. When he was sure that Vader was nowhere around, he dismissed his keyblade.

Luke deactivated his lightsaber and sauntered to where Sora stood, also beginning to look for Vader. "I don't see him." Luke commented.

"He's waiting for us somewhere." Sora surmised. "He wouldn't set up this big trap and then just run away when stuff started to go wrong. So," he added, turning toward Luke, "I guess you're Luke Skywalker."

"And I guess you're Sora." Luke returned, looking up to face his new comrade. "I've met your friends: Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy and Taran."

Sora's face brightened. "Really? How are they?"

"They're safe." Luke told him. "They were in the Dagobah system when I headed out here. They told me a lot about you—said you were a great warrior. And from what I've seen, I believe them."

Sora acknowledged the compliment with a small grin. "Thanks. You're not too bad yourself—and_ your_ friends look like they have faith in you."

Luke's eyes went wide. "You've met my friends?"

"Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO?" Sora queried.

"You _have_ met them!" Luke exclaimed. Then his face became solemn. "I saw Stormtroopers taking them away, but I didn't see Han with them. Do you know where he is?"

Sora nodded. "Frozen in carbonite. He should be on his way up to Boba Fett's ship right about now."

"_Fett_?" Luke repeated. "So _that's_ what that metal slab was! Oh no... _Han_!"

"Hey," Sora told him, "let's focus on _us_ right now. Vader's probably still down there, and I don't wanna keep him waiting. Come on."

With that, Sora leaped from the platform and landed gracefully upon the floor below. Luke soon followed, and the two began their search for Darth Vader. Even so, Luke Skywalker couldn't quite figure out just who was the hunter…

Or who was the _hunted_.

* * *

**A/N: YES! I have left you here! This chapter, as the name suggests, is really only _part_ of a chapter. My option was to either give you a monstrous chapter that not even the _author_ could read in one sitting, or to give you two itty-bitty chapters that make up the whole. Personally, I like itty-bitty chapters... a little bit of a pick-me-up that you can finish in a short amount of time. But I digress.**

**I would also like to announce that I have mande several changes to my profile since the first of June, including a new Quote of the Month and several new items under the "Other Items" section.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! That last chapter broke my previous record, my friends! THIRTEEN reviews for a single chapter! I do hope I'll be hearing from most, if not all, of you again.**

**Apologies again for being so slow with the updates.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	13. Confronting Vader: Part Two

**A/N: Hello, and welcome to another episode straight from the desk of Lord Moldybutt. I feel pretty good, only taking a week and a half to get this chapter up. Hopefully, this is the first step on the road to improvement. Or not. **

**Before we begin, I must inform you of an important discovery I've made: I might be superstitious. I've done something important in every Chapter 13 I've written thus far. In Volume I, we saw Darth Maul defeated in Chapter 13. In Volume II, we saw Radiant Garden invaded by Heartless. But here, in the CHapter 13 of Volume III, I think I've done something _truly_ evil. You be the judge, but don't say I didn't warn you. So now, without further ado, lucky Chapter 13...**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Confronting Vader: Part 2**

A moment after leaping to the floor of the carbon-freezing pit, Sora and Luke found themselves standing before a circular metal vent, the diameter of which was only a little longer than the height of a grown man. The two companions could examine the vent for but a moment before it slid open, seemingly of its own accord, to reveal a tunnel that sloped downward at a slight angle. Luke found a switch at the top of the tunnel; he flipped it, activating a multitude of lights built into the walls of the tunnel. This tunnel seemed just large enough to accommodate the size of one such as Darth Vader, and it was quite likely that the Sith Lord had traveled through it.

No, Sora realized as he and Luke began to traverse the rather short length of the tunnel, it wasn't _likely_ at all. It was _certain_. Darth Vader was waiting for them, waiting for an opportune moment to emerge from the shadows and strike them down.

Sora and Luke both remained on their guards as they emerged from the tunnel, stepping out into the reactor control room of Cloud City. It was wide and dark, illuminated only by glowing panels positioned at various intervals across the floor. Upon the wall opposite the tunnel was a great circular window, beyond which was the vast, brightly lit abyss of Cloud City's main reactor shaft. Even from where he stood at the opposite end of the room, Sora could tell that it was a _very_ long drop to wherever the shaft eventually led.

As soon as both companions had exited the tunnel, a double hatch suddenly snapped shut over the opening. Their only means of escape was cut off, and beyond lay only the colossal expanse of the main reactor shaft.

Sora knew the tactic well. By trapping them in this room, Darth Vader did more than just cut off their possible routes of escape. In doing so, he also awakened in his two opponents the primal instinct to _panic_, just as animals might do when cornered. Already, Sora could feel his nerves slowly beginning to rattle. His pulse raced as he and Luke began to move forward, toward the massive window that overlooked the main reactor shaft. His heart began beating faster and faster, until he was sure that Darth Vader could hear it from wherever he was hiding. Sora's eyes darted around the room and his finger twitched anxiously, ready to summon his keyblade at the drop of a hat. Beside him, he could see Luke Skywalker taking cautious steps this way and that, looking all around for the Dark Lord of the Sith.

And then they heard the _breathing_.

Darth Vader's loud, sinister breath chilled Sora to the core as it began to echo throughout the room. As soon as the sound reached Sora's ears, he called the Oathkeeper to his hand and held it in a defensive stance. Luke mirrored Sora's action as he came to stand beside his friend, activating his cerulean lightsaber and holding it at the ready. Darth Vader soon emerged from the shadows and activated the crimson blade of his own lightsaber, and there was a moment of silence as the three combatants stared each other down.

After a few seconds of staring into the cold, unfeeling lenses of Darth Vader's black helmet, Sora leaped at the Sith Lord. Darth Vader brought his lightsaber up to guard with such force that Sora was forced to take a step back in recoil. While Sora took a second to recover, Darth Vader turned his concentration to a large metal pipe attached to the wall behind where Luke was beginning to run toward Vader. Through the Force, Darth Vader ripped the pipe from the wall and hurled it toward Luke. Luke managed to whirl about and slice the pipe neatly in half, sending the pieces clattering to the floor.

By this time, Sora was already on the offensive again. He brought the Oathkeeper in a powerful plunge toward Darth Vader's stomach, forcing him to angle his lightsaber downward in order to parry. Sora tried to take advantage of the low position of Vader's lightsaber to leap over the Sith Lord's head. But Darth Vader was already reaching out with the Force, sending a metal tool case flying toward the Keyblade Master. The case crashed into Sora in mid-leap; both Sora and the case crashed into a nearby wall.

Before Darth Vader could take advantage of Sora's current state, Luke Skywalker charged forward to take the offensive. He aimed a high vertical chop at Vader, which was easily deflected; as Luke's lightsaber glanced off of Vader's, he aimed a horizontal slash at Vader's middle. Vader angled his lightsaber downward to counter Luke's attack, then pushed forward with strength enough to send Luke to the ground.

By this time, Sora was on his feet and charging at Darth Vader. Vader quickly lashed out at Sora with a quick thrust, but Sora managed to bat it aside. Before Vader could bring his lightsaber up for another attack, Sora aimed a kick at the Sith Lord's chest. Vader was sent stumbling back a few paces, which gave Luke enough time to rejoin Sora on the attack.

Under such extreme circumstances, Darth Vader decided, it was perfectly acceptable for a Sith Lord to _cheat_.

Darth Vader knew that the few feet between himself and his opponents would buy him at least a second or two. Using that time, he reached into the Force and sent a sizable piece of machinery hurtling toward Sora. Sora sliced through it easily enough, but Luke's close proximity caused one of the pieces to catch him squarely in the gut. Luke staggered backward, drawing close to the large circular window overlooking the reactor shaft beyond. But as Luke moved backward, Sora pressed forward, so focused on reaching Vader that he did not see a large metal tool box come sailing toward Luke. Luke swung and missed with his lightsaber, and the box hit him full in the face.

Still, Sora continued to advance, and even managed to lunge at Darth Vader. Vader quickly sidestepped this rather desperate attack, then diverted his attention to an enormous segment of pipe to his immediate left. After briefly calculating how to use this pipe to his greatest advantage, Vader deactivated his lightsaber before reaching out with the Force and tearing the pipe from the wall. This hurtled past both Sora and Luke before it crashed through the great window at the far end of the room.

For a split second, there was no sound in the room but the loud crash of splintering glass. Immediately following that split second, however, there came a loud, continuous _whoosh_ as the room began to depressurize. Air rushed out of the room at tremendous speed, creating a vacuum that tore at anything not bolted down, including the three living beings inside.

The vacuum continued to pull at the three combatants with the force of a mighty gale. Darth Vader, whose weight provided him with greater resistance to the vacuum's power, reached out and gripped a small pipe attached to the wall. Sora leaped away from the window and managed to cast a Reflega spell upon himself, powerful enough to ward off the powerful torrent of wind.

Luke Skywalker, on the other hand, had no defense against the raging vacuum. With nothing to anchor himself with, Luke had no choice but to deactivate his lightsaber and shut his eyes as he was sucked through the window and into the abyss of the reactor shaft beyond.

After a second or two, the atmosphere of the room once again became stable. Sora dismissed his Reflega spell, and Darth Vader let go of the pipe he'd been holding. For a moment, there was an unspoken cessation of hostilities between the two remaining combatants as they approached the window, mutual curiosity driving them to see what had become of young Luke Skywalker. Keyblade Master and Sith Lord both leaned over the jagged remains of the broken window, and were taken aback by what they found.

Luke was hanging by his fingers from the edge of a gantry several stories below the great window. Both Sora and Vader watched in silence as Luke pulled himself up onto the gantry, cut and battered but alive.

As soon as he was sure Luke was going to be all right, Sora turned his attention to Darth Vader once again. He prepared to slash at Vader while his guard was down, but Vader needed no weapons to stop Sora's attack. All he needed was a single hand, clenched into a fist and held out toward Sora's throat.

Once again, Sora felt his windpipe tighten as Darth Vader choked him through the Force. In a desperate attempt to free himself, Sora tossed his keyblade at the Sith Lord as he had the last time he'd found himself in such a situation. Vader had anticipated this tactic, however, and effortlessly dodged the attack. Through it all, his arm had never wavered, and his concentration was still strong upon Sora's constricting throat.

Before Sora could call the Oathkeeper back to his hand, he felt the unseen fingers around his neck suddenly lift him up into the air. His windpipe began constricting even further, and soon his head began to swim from lack of oxygen. His natural instinct to panic soon took over, causing Sora's legs to thrash wildly in the air while his hands still clutched at his throat. Even as he struggled futilely to escape Vader's grip, even as his vision began to darken, Sora was still conscious enough to realize one very important detail:

He was going to die.

Darth Vader watched with satisfaction as he strangled the life out of his enemy. In only another moment, the Keyblade Master would be dead and his mission would be half complete. But as he watched Sora's struggles, as he listened to the desperate gasps and choking noises coming from Sora's rapidly constricting windpipe, Darth Vader began to realize something.

_He couldn't go through with it_.

Darth Vader could not stand to watch Sora die this way. Vader had come to respect, even _admire_ the strength, the skill, and the sheer dogged willpower that had, thus far, allowed Sora to keep going long after lesser men would have broken. Such characteristics reminded Vader very much of himself in his younger days—before he'd become the mechanical monstrosity that he now was. Darth Vader knew that such spirit deserved to be rewarded. Dying helplessly in the grip of a Sith Lord certainly was not the most valiant way to die, and Sora deserved better.

Sora at least deserved to go down fighting.

Sora was still struggling in Vader's grip when the Sith Lord decided to end it. Vader turned his closed fist into an open hand, using it to push forward with the Force. The invisible fingers around Sora's throat released their hold, and the Keyblade Master was sent flying out the window to join Luke on the gantry far below. Darth Vader needed not look out the window again to know that Sora had made it.

Sora _always_ made it, if given the chance.

Darth Vader quickly looked over the reactor control room, searching for an alternate means of escape. He soon found an open elevator tube off to the side of the room, and he could sense in the Force that it would take him _exactly_ where he needed to go.

* * *

Luke Skywalker was carefully making his way along the gantry where he'd landed, his lightsaber firmly in his hand. The gantry was attached to a large control vane, somewhat resembling a rudder in shape; this was used to manipulate the powerful currents of air and Tibanna gas that constantly circulated throughout the shaft. There was a protective railing around the gantry, but Luke did not make use of it—instead, he remained as close to the vane as he was able, trying to avoid the powerful airflow that was perfectly capable of sweeping him off his feet.

As Luke proceeded onward, he suddenly heard a very loud _clang_ coming from just a few feet behind him. Luke's lightsaber sprang to life as he whipped around, prepared to strike at the source of the noise. After realizing what it was, however, he immediately deactivated his lightsaber and smiled out of sheer relief.

It was only Sora.

Sora had managed to right himself during his fall from the window, and had landed feet first upon the gantry. After doing so, however, the Keyblade Master had immediately collapsed to his knees from the impact of the fall. He was gasping frantically, desperate to fill his lungs with sacred, life-giving oxygen, and his hands were massaging his throat. Luke watched Sora with a mixture of amazement and shock; while he was glad to see his comrade alive, he was horrified to see what Darth Vader must have done.

After a minute or two, Sora removed his hands from his throat. With a flick of his wrist, the Oathkeeper appeared in his hand, and he used it to cast a Curaga spell upon himself. A second later, Sora began to rise to his feet, no longer gasping. Luke, after waiting for Sora to make eye contact with him, decided to ask, "Are you all right?"

Sora nodded. "I think so. Now where are we going?"

"Looks like there's only one way _to_ go." Luke answered, turning away from Sora to look at the path ahead. "Forward."

Sora nodded and dismissed his keyblade, knowing that its white blade would be easy to spot in the dim environment of the reactor shaft. Thus the pair went on, on their guards and ready to go on the defensive at a moment's notice.

It was not long before Sora and Luke edged around the control vane, coming across a doorway that led into a dark, narrow corridor. The corridor was lined with monitors and control panels on either side, used by Cloud City personnel to make necessary adjustments in the air flow. The current lateness of the hour meant that all the reactor shaft personnel had already left their posts for the day, and the corridor was completely empty.

Or _was_ it?

Sora entered the corridor first, his finger twitching uncontrollably as he scanned the area for danger. Luke had at first intended to follow Sora inside, but he knew that we wouldn't be much help within the narrow space of the corridor. He instead opted to wait outside the corridor in order to keep watch for any outside threats. There was a walkway that extended from the control vane's gantry to a small cantilevered platform; Luke stood halfway between the vane and the platform, keeping a sharp eye out for anything _unexpected_.

Sora walked further into the corridor of the control vane, passing the flashing monitors that provided the only illumination inside. It was _quiet_, Sora observed cautiously as he pressed onward. _Too quiet_.

Suddenly, the familiar _hum_ of an igniting lightsaber reached Sora's ears as a bar of crimson plasma abruptly burst forth from the shadows. Sora leaped backward in surprise and instantly summoned the Oathkeeper to his hand. His startled jolt had saved his life, for the attack only narrowly missed Sora as a great black shape emerged from the darkness.

It was Darth Vader!

Darth Vader followed up his initial miss with a new attack, which Sora only barely managed to block in time. Vader shoved the Oathkeeper to the side with his lightsaber, then continued his offense with a thrust at Sora's chest. Sora brought his keyblade back up to swat the blow aside, but doing so required more strength than he'd thought—now his shoulder was beginning to burn again.

Darth Vader was relentless. He brought a vertical chop down on Sora's head, his lightsaber slashing through the corridor's ceiling in the process. Sparks showered from where Vader's lightsaber had cut the ceiling, making it difficult for Sora to see. In a stroke of luck, Sora's keyblade connected with Vader's lightsaber before his head could be cleaved in two.

But the Sith Lord was not yet finished.

Darth Vader aimed a wide diagonal slash at Sora, deliberately slicing one of the monitors lining the wall in half. Smoke and sparks burst forth from what remained of the monitor, catching Sora in the face and shoulder. Sora grunted in pain as his already wounded shoulder began to burn more intensely, and the sparks to his face had momentarily blinded him. Sora lashed out wildly with his keyblade, but his state of panic now rendered his blows clumsy and weak. Darth Vader easily batted the Oathkeeper aside, then tried again with a thrust at Sora's heart. Sora regained his vision quickly enough to see this attack coming, but he could not hope to block it in time. In a desperate move, Sora tried to duck to the side of the blow. His maneuver prevented Vader's lightsaber from piercing his heart, but his success was not complete.

Rather than pierce his heart, Vader's lightsaber drove through Sora's left shoulder.

Sora let out an agonized scream as Darth Vader withdrew his blade, leaving a centimeter-wide hole in Sora's shoulder. The hole was almost a perfect match to the one Vader had left in Sora's right shoulder earlier that day, and it burned just as badly as Sora remembered.

Sora's left arm now hung limp at his side as he continued to fend off Vader's attacks with his right. Darth Vader aimed a horizontal slash at Sora's middle, causing more sparks to spew from the wall as Vader's lightsaber sliced through it. Sora managed to parry the attack, but the arm that held his keyblade was flung back in recoil.

Darth Vader now aimed a stab at Sora's stomach. Sora quickly tried to counter the attack, but it was too late for that. Instead, Sora's keyblade only managed to force Vader's lightsaber downward; rather than run through his gut, the lightsaber instead ran deep into Sora's right thigh.

Sora cried in anguish and began to collapse, but he could not even fall before Darth Vader seized him by the throat with a black-gloved hand. Vader drew his lightsaber from Sora's leg slowly and deliberately, making sure to let Sora suffer as much as possible. At last, once Vader had withdrawn his crimson blade form Sora's leg, he drew it back and plunged it into Sora's right shoulder, in the exact place where he'd pierced it the last time. Tears of mortal torment managed to well up in the Keyblade master's eyes as he let out another heartrending scream.

Again, Darth Vader slowly withdrew his lightsaber from the wound. Then, his hand still firmly gripping Sora's neck, Vader slammed Sora against one of the monitors on the wall. Sparks erupted from the broken machinery, burning Sora's back and legs in addition to the bruises and cuts he'd acquired on impact with the monitor. Some of the sparks even managed to find their way into the hole in Sora's thigh, eliciting one more howl from the Keyblade Master.

At last, Vader released Sora's neck and allowed him to fall to the ground. His wounds were severe, but none were fatal. Darth Vader knew this; he looked down at Sora and stated coldly, "I must now attend to Skywalker, but know that I _will_ return to finish what I've begun."

Darth Vader kicked Sora hard in the ribs before stepping over him, proceeding out of the control room to the walkway where he knew Luke Skywalker was waiting.

The last thing Sora saw before he lost consciousness was the hem of Darth Vader's cape as it passed over him, and the last thing he heard was the deep, labored breathing of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

* * *

Luke Skywalker was still waiting on the walkway, the control vane in front of him and the small platform behind. He had broken out into a cold sweat, and his mouth hung slightly agape at what he'd seen and heard.

Luke was aware that Darth Vader had been inside the control room. He'd heard the sound of the igniting lightsaber; he'd seen the crimson of Vader's blade mixed with flurries of sparks. He'd heard the banging and clanging that indicated conflict inside the room, and—just in the past few seconds—he'd heard the horrific sounds of Sora's agonized screams.

Luke had seen and heard all this, and yet he'd been powerless to help. The room inside the control vane was much too narrow for Luke to have been able to get anywhere _near_ Darth Vader. And so Luke had waited, scarcely daring to breathe, hoping beyond hope that Sora was going to be all right.

His hope was destroyed, however, when he saw Darth Vader step out of the room and onto the walkway. Sora was nowhere in sight, and Luke knew exactly what _that_ meant. Sora had been defeated, perhaps killed, and now young Skywalker was on his own. With no plan, no strategy, and no hope, Luke did the only thing left for him to do.

He charged at Darth Vader.

Luke's lightsaber sprang to life as he drew near the Dark Lord of the Sith. As soon as he was within striking distance, Luke aimed a high overhead chop at Vader. Vader had seen this move coming, and deflected the attack with time to spare. Luke, on the other hand, found _no_ time so spare before Vader pushed forward with his lightsaber.

Luke stumbled back a pace or two, his guard still up. He knew that the walkway went on only for another ten yards or so before it ended in the small platform. Beyond the platform was only an array of vertical weather sensors on the outer edge, followed by a much larger sensor array. Luke could not let Darth Vader push him back that far, or he'd soon find himself plunging into the dark depths of the reactor shaft.

However, it was very difficult not to give ground as Darth Vader continued to advance, his powerful arms bringing his lightsaber down upon Luke's time and time again. Luke finally shunted the last of these blows aside, causing both his and Vader's lightsabers to slice through a portion of the guardrail that ran along either side of the walkway. Luke then tried to bring his lightsaber back up for a slash to Vader's chest, but the Sith Lord was too fast for him; his scarlet blade whacked Luke's cerulean one away, causing it to slice into another section of guardrail before Luke could regain control of it. Vader continued to advance and Luke continued to give ground as the Sith Lord brought his lightsaber up and down again, aiming a diagonal swipe at Luke. Luke brought up his own weapon to guard, and the two blades became locked in a battle of strength, each combatant's lightsaber pushing hard against the other.

Darth Vader had the advantage of his mechanical limbs, and soon overpowered Luke. Luke fell hard upon the bare metal of the metal-floored walkway. Before he could clamber to his feet again—before he could even _try_—he found himself gazing up the length of Darth Vader's crimson blade, which was pointed mere inches in front of Luke's nose.

"You are beaten." Darth Vader stated, his lightsaber never wavering. "It is _useless_ to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did… as _Sora_ soon will."

As Luke listened to the Sith Lord's words, his heart filled with anger and hatred. Watching Darth Vader kill Obi-Wan Kenobi was the single most painful memory Luke had, and to be reminded of it meant to be reminded of how much he _hated_ Vader. Luke took some small comfort in the implication that Sora was not yet dead, that there was still some chance to save him; but Luke also knew that Sora would have _no_ chance if Darth Vader was allowed to win.

Luke's anger gave him new strength, and he managed to bat Darth Vader's lightsaber aside. Darth Vader quickly regained control of his weapon and aimed a downward chop at Luke, but his blade met only the metal floor of the walkway; Luke had already rolled to the side and leaped to his feet, preparing to aim a decapitating slash at Vader's neck. Vader rose up in time to intercept this attack—he tried to follow it up with a diagonal swipe at Luke, but Luke ducked underneath Vader's blade. Vader's lightsaber carved neatly through the guardrail beside Luke, leaving the young Skywalker unharmed. Vader lifted his blade again, this time aiming a horizontal swing at Luke's chest. Vader's lightsaber met nothing but air as Luke once again ducked underneath the blow; as he ducked, Luke lashed out with his own lightsaber, which managed to connect with the black plate of armor on Vader's right shoulder. Vader gave a surprised shout as sparks issued forth from the shoulder plate, but he never lost sight of Luke.

As the Sith Lord recovered, Luke sped past the vertical array of weather sensors on the cantilevered platform's outer edge, then clambered onto a small beam that connected the platform to the other, much larger sensor array. The beam was now all that stood between Luke and a _very_ long drop down the reactor shaft.

Darth Vader's next attack (which, Luke observed, seemed rather desperate) cleaved the small tower of weather sensors in half. The top half fell down the reactor shaft below, so far that Luke could not hear it land.

Not that Luke was paying much attention.

Darth Vader had now fully recovered from his minor wound, and was now back on the offensive. He aimed a powerful horizontal slash at Luke, though his blade would have fallen short if Luke had remained still. Alas, Luke did not have such foresight, and moved to block the attack anyway. His lightsaber locked with Vader's for a moment, but a moment was all Vader needed. With a flick of his wrist, the Sith Lord brought his lightsaber away from Luke's blade, around Luke's hand…

And directly through Luke's wrist.

Luke Skywalker cried out in pain and shock. Once he'd finished, he could only watch in utter horror as his right hand—still gripping his lightsaber—plunged down into the depths of the reactor shaft. The lightsaber deactivated automatically, making both it and the hand that held it difficult to see as they fell down, down, down…

Luke at last slumped down upon the beam, using his remaining hand to clutch at a protruding piece of the weather sensor array; Luke clutched his right arm to his chest, looking at the cauterized wound where his hand should have been before looking back at Vader.

"There is no escape." Darth Vader warned as he approached the edge of the platform in order to look down at Luke. "Don't make me destroy you."

Luke did not answer. His head was spinning, and he thought for a moment that he might throw up. All he could think of were his missing hand and his new desire to get as far away from Vader as physically possible. He began to scoot backward along the beam, drawing nearer to the large array only a few feet behind him.

Darth Vader deactivated his lightsaber. What need was there for it now? Sora was incapacitated, and Luke was helpless without his hand. "_Luke_," the Sith Lord entreated, "you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. _Join me_, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we could _end_ this destructive conflict and bring _order_ to the galaxy!"

"Don't even think about it, Luke!"

Both Luke and Darth Vader were given pause by this third voice. They couldn't believe their eyes—it was _Sora_!

Luke looked past the towering black form of Darth Vader in order to see where Sora was. He found the Keyblade Master about eight yards away, lying on his stomach upon the metal walkway. Luke could tell, even with the distance between them and his head still spinning, that Sora had been greatly injured. He must have crawled out of the control room at some point during Luke's brief skirmish with Vader, and it had probably taken him a good few minutes to make it even to where he was now.

Luke took courage from Sora's strength of heart. He continued to back away, then wrapped his arms around the great sensor array at the end of the beam. He shouted angrily at Darth Vader, "_I'll never join you!_"

Darth Vader turned his attention back to Luke. He could afford to do so—Sora was in no condition to stop him. "If you only knew the _power_ of the dark side." Vader told Luke, clenching his black-gloved fist to demonstrate.

"The dark side…" Sora countered, slowly inching toward the platform where Vader stood, "the dark side _has _no power!"

Darth Vader was becoming annoyed with Sora. The boy seemed to have a rebuttal for everything. _But_, Vader thought, _can you counter this?_

The black lenses of his helmet fixed on Luke, Darth Vader said, "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

That was a low blow to Luke. "He told me enough!" he spat at Vader, trying to get a foothold on the sensor array where he was perched. "He told me _you_ killed him!"

Darth Vader's answer was a simple one, but it would pierce Luke's heart more painfully than any lightsaber could. "No," the Sith Lord told him, "_I_ am your father."

Then there came a great silence all throughout the reactor shaft, the powerful airflow providing the only audible sound. Sora's body had frozen as soon as he'd heard the words, and no longer tried to crawl toward the platform. Sora was stunned, but _Luke_…

Luke was _devastated_.

For a moment, Luke Skywalker could do nothing but slowly shake his head, his jaws working uselessly. After a moment, he was able to whimper, "No." Then, tears of confusion and heartbreak began to well in his eyes, and his voice sounded almost like a sob. "_No._ That's not true… that's _impossible_!"

"Search your feelings," Darth Vader implored him, "you _know_ it to be true!"

Luke _did_ search his feelings. And what he found there chilled him to the core. "_NO!_" he screamed, unable to accept that one statement that, deep down, he discovered to be the truth. "_No_!"

Luke buried his face in his arms for a moment, and it appeared that he might burst into sobs, but Darth Vader never gave him the chance. "_Luke_," the Sith Lord addressed him, "you can destroy the emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your _destiny_!"

Now, Darth Vader reached out with an open hand, as though offering it for Luke to take. "Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son."

Luke did not answer, but instead began to look down. He looked into the depths of the reactor shaft that went down beyond what his eye could see, and he seemed to be contemplating something.

Seeing Luke's hesitance, Darth Vader, reiterated, "_Come with me_. It is the only way."

"Don't listen to him, Luke!" Sora shouted, finally finding his voice. "Even if he _is_ your father… you don't have to make the same mistakes _he_ made! Fight him, Luke! Fight him!"

Luke looked to Vader, then looked down to the bottom of the shaft. He looked to Vader one last time, and then… he let go. He let go of Darth Vader's terrible revelation, he let go of his fears, he let go of his pain…

He let go of the sensor array.

Darth Vader stared after him as Luke plunged down into the reactor shaft. He fell very far, very fast, until Darth Vader was only a tiny black speck at the edge of the control vane, which was shrinking further into the distance by the second.

After a moment, Luke found that he was no longer falling straight down. He was caught in a powerful current of air, which pulled him with remarkable strength toward one of several air vents lining the wall of the shaft. Luke twisted his body so that he might allow himself to be sucked into the air vent. This was done, and soon Luke found himself sliding down a long, metal-lined tube. The metal of the tube was quite smooth; this, coupled with the power of the airflow, made it impossible for Luke to control his movement as he slid down the pipe.

At last, Luke came to what must have been a dip in the pipeline, and he slowly came to a stop. He took a moment to gain his bearings, but that moment was all he had before a trapdoor popped open directly beneath him. The pipe became almost perfectly vertical—most likely a way to dispose of stray matter in the reactor shaft.

This was confirmed when Luke's slide ended at a retractable hatch. The hatch opened as Luke neared it, and Luke found himself falling again—not sliding, but _falling_. That hatch had dropped him from the underside of Cloud City itself, and Luke found himself in the open air of Bespin's atmosphere.

In a stroke of luck, Luke crashed onto an electronic weather vane, one of a few that protruded from the base of Cloud City. Luke grabbed at the weather vane with his left hand, and was even able to stand upon one of the vane's horizontal protrusions. Helpless and alone, there was nothing for Luke to do but call out a single name.

"_Ben_…" Luke whispered, "Ben, _please_…"

* * *

Darth Vader was still staring down the main reactor shaft, devastated by his loss. Luke was surely dead by now, or still falling to meet his end on the planet Bespin itself. He had chosen _death_ over the dark side of the Force, and over his own _father_. Darth Vader—_Anakin Skywalker_—was struck with a pang of unbearable sadness as he realized that he might never see his son again.

But Darth Vader was still a Dark Lord of the Sith, and Sith Lords had a certain way of dealing with sadness. The pieces of Darth Vader's breaking heart slowly began to heat up until they came together to form a great flame, a conflagration of anger and hate that was the source of the true power of the Sith.

And right now, all that burning hatred was directed at one solitary being.

"_Sora_," Darth Vader said coldly, turning to face the wounded Keyblade Master, "as promised, I am now returning to finish what I began."

Darth Vader lifted up his hand, and Sora was hoisted a few feet into the air by the power of the Force. Sora stared into the lenses of Vader's helmet and gasped, "_Anakin_?"

Darth Vader slowly began to clench his hand into a fist. This time, though, it was not just Sora's windpipe that was constricted. Indeed, it seemed to Sora as though all of his internal organs were trying to implode. Sora grunted in pain as Darth Vader said sharply, "Do _not_ call me by that name."

"It's _your_ name, isn't it? _Anakin Skywalker_?"

Darth Vader increased his concentration, and Sora felt that his body might burst. He was sure that he was bleeding internally by now, and he could see some blood welling up in his previously cauterized lightsaber wounds. "That name no longer has any meaning to me." Darth Vader stated harshly, his loud breathing beginning to quicken. At last, Darth Vader opened his fist and threw his hand out, sending Sora smashing into the control vane several yards away. Before Sora could fall to the floor, however, Darth Vader seized him with the Force again. The Sith Lord withdrew his hand, and Sora was slammed to the floor, skidding across the walkway until he came to a stop at Vader's feet.

Despite his pain, both old and new, Sora still managed to look up at Vader. "What happened to you, Anakin? You used to be our _friend_! Kairi told me everything _about_ you. You and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and Pad—"

Sora's sentence turned into a series of choking noises as Darth Vader reached out and clutched his throat with the Force. "Do _not_ speak her name!" Darth Vader roared, sounding angrier than Sora had ever heard him before. "_No one_ must speak her name."

Darth Vader released his hold on Sora's windpipe, but this was but small relief. An instant later, Darth Vader brought up his arm, launching Sora high into the air. As soon as Sora's flight reached its peak, Darth Vader took hold of him with the Force once again. Then the Sith Lord quickly brought his hand down, causing Sora to fall harder than even gravity might pull him. He hit the floor with a powerful _clang_, and Sora cried out as he felt several of his bones seem to splinter apart. If he hadn't been bleeding internally already, he certainly was now. But he was not yet dead—Darth Vader would not grant him that mercy.

"You have cost me my _son_, Keyblade Master." Darth Vader said harshly, waving his hand up and around in a large sweeping motion. Sora was sent sailing over Darth Vader's head, coming down with another _clang_ a few feet behind the Sith Lord.

After another yelp of pain, Sora muttered, "You did that _yourself_… when you turned to the dark side."

Darth Vader stared down at Sora coldly. The Keyblade Master was beginning to cough up vast quantities of blood… a sickening display that made even Vader's stomach turn. But the Sith Lord was not yet finished. As soon as Sora's coughing had come to a pause, Vader once again lifted his hand. Sora was lifted up to Vader's eye level; Vader used the Force to position Sora so that he was lying on his back (if hanging in midair could indeed be called _lying_). Then, Darth Vader clenched his fist. Sora's head and feet suddenly jerked back to the point where they nearly touched. A terrible _crack _echoed throughout the reactor shaft, followed by a deafening scream that erupted from Sora's mouth.

The Keyblade Master's spine had been snapped in two.

After a moment, the scream died down as Sora's mind faded into unconsciousness. The strength of his heart and his powers as a Keybearer were enough to keep him alive, even now, but that was what Darth Vader wanted. It was only fitting that Sora should meet the same end as the son he'd taken from Vader.

Through the Force, Darth Vader moved Sora's unconscious body forward until it hung directly over the open abyss of the reactor shaft. At last, Vader released his hold on Sora, and the Keyblade Master began his long plunge to the bottom of the shaft. Darth Vader did not bother to stay and observe Sora's fate before he turned around and began making his way back to the surface of Cloud City. His breath echoed throughout the reactor shaft as he said, as much to himself as to anyone:

"Goodbye, Sora."

* * *

**A/N: See? I told you it was evil. Did you believe me? I think not!**

**Well, there you have it. As I have promised some of you already, Sora did not get any part of his body chopped off. Stabbed, broken, maimed... sure. Chopped off? Nope. Of course, the question still remains of whether Sora will _survive_ his little fall, but that is a story for another day.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! I don't know why I continue to post this reminder, even though you all have done a FANTASTIC job with the review count. I think we might break TWO hundred reviews when all is said and done... but that is up to you, dear readers.**

**On another note, I'm going to be putting up the Quote of the Month for the month of July on my profile page very soon. Keep your eyes peeled!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	14. Escape from Cloud City

**A/N: Here I am again, with a new chapter just for you. This one might be one of my longest, but that should make up for the shortness of the two previous chapters. Now, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Escape from Cloud City**

Sora was still falling.

His body broken, battered, and bruised, Sora plunged down through the reactor shaft, unconscious but alive. In this state, Sora's limp body was easily captured by the powerful airflow inside the reactor shaft, which swept him this way and that before finally depositing him into one of the many air vents lining the shaft's tubular walls. This particular air vent, whether by fate or by bizarre coincidence, happened to be the _exact_ same one through which Luke Skywalker had traveled only a few moments before.

Sora still did not wake, and therefore was unable to adjust himself as he began his descent through the slippery tunnel of the vent. As he reached the dip in the pipeline, he (much like Luke) came to a stop for a brief moment before a trapdoor swung open beneath him. Sora's unconscious body plunged headfirst into the vertical pipe below, accelerating faster and faster as he approached the retractable hatch that would eject him from Cloud City and send him plummeting toward the gaseous planet of Bespin below. Sora was utterly helpless as the hatch slowly swung open, and his body slid at remarkable speed toward it…

* * *

When Luke Skywalker heard the hatch above him begin to swing open, he was at first taken by surprise. Why would it be opening? Was something coming out of the shaft? But that couldn't be. Why would anything follow Luke down the shaft? Unless…

_Sora_.

Luke knew he had to act quickly. He wrapped his right arm around the weather vane that held him, using his elbow as a hook to secure himself. When Sora's broken, unconscious body dropped from the hatch a moment later, Luke was ready to reach out for him with his left hand. He managed to grasp the back of Sora's jacket in order to prevent the Keyblade Master from plummeting to his death. Pain shot through Luke's arm as he began to haul Sora to a safer position atop the weather vane. _Wow_, _Sora, _Luke thought, wincing as he continued to pull, _you're a lot heavier than you look_.

At last, Luke managed to carefully drape Sora's body over one of the horizontal bars extending from the vane. Luke slumped down to sit on the bar beside his comrade, his left hand still holding Sora in place and his right arm still wrapped around the vane. _Well_, Luke mused, _looks like we're stuck_.

"Ben…" Luke gasped once more, desperately pleading for Obi-Wan Kenobi to come to his aid. But Obi-Wan had already warned him—he could not interfere if Luke chose to face Darth Vader. He would not answer Luke's pleas.

But then, Luke got another idea.

On Dagobah, Sora's friends had all told him about the powerful bond that connected Sora's and Kairi's hearts. Through this bond, each could always sense what the other was feeling. By now, Luke guessed, Kairi was aware that Sora was in pain. She might even know where to _find_ Sora… perhaps she was even trying to find a way to _reach_ him.

So, why not take this concept and apply it to the Force?

Gathering the last of his mental strength, Luke reached out with the Force, calling out the first name that came to mind. "Leia!"

Luke had no idea where Leia was: whether she was with the others, whether she had escaped Imperial custody, or whether she was even on the _planet_ anymore. But something in the Force told him that Leia was his best bet, and so he continued to call out her name. "Hear me… _Leia_."

* * *

At that precise moment, the _Millennium Falcon _was speeding away from Cloud City as fast as it could, but it was still well within the atmosphere of Bespin.

Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Kairi were all inside the ship, the two droids in the main hold and everyone else in the cockpit. After blasting their way through hordes of Imperial forces, they had managed to board the _Millennium Falcon_ and escape Cloud City alive (R2-D2 had even managed to bump into his friends along the way), but they had been too late to save Han. Right now, the carbonite slab that imprisoned Han was in the cargo hold of the _Slave I_, being transported by Boba Fett to the desert planet Tatooine, where he would be delivered into the hands of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Everyone had mourned their failure to save Han, but they kept in mind that they would get a chance to free him from Jabba's clutches soon enough.

Princess Leia was sitting in the pilot's seat of the _Millennium Falcon_. Chewbacca was beside her in the copilot's seat, and Kairi sat in the seat behind the Wookiee. Lando Calrissian was up and about, checking monitors and gauges all around the cockpit. One of these monitors indicated that Imperial TIE fighters were in hot pursuit of the _Falcon_, but only Lando seemed to care. Chewbacca was occupied with trying to fly the ship, and the two women aboard seemed to be… _distracted_.

Kairi suddenly put both of her hands to her heart, and her eyes began to stare blankly at the back of Chewbacca's seat. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she had to fight them back before she was able to whisper, "_Sora_…"

Lando heard the name and turned to look at Kairi, but he was unable to speak before Kairi suddenly blurted out, "We have to go back!"

"_What_?" Lando questioned, surprised by this unexpected outburst.

"I know where Sora is!" Kairi declared. "I can feel it in my heart. He's suffering—maybe _dying_! He _needs_ us!"

Lando was about to tell her _no_, that he _refused_ to endanger their lives just because Kairi _felt_ something, but he never got the chance before he suddenly heard Leia murmur, "_Luke_…"

Kairi turned to look at Leia. "You feel something too, don't you?"

Leia nodded in affirmation. Once she had done so, Kairi looked to Lando once more. "See? It's not just me. Our friends are _down there_! If we don't get this stupid hunk of junk turned around _right now_, then they _both_ could die!"

Lando could not deny how uncanny it was that both Kairi and Leia were experiencing these feelings, but he still had one misgiving. "But what about those fighters?"

This time, it was Leia who spoke. She did not address Lando, nor did she acknowledge the presence of the pursuing TIE fighters. Instead, she commanded Chewbacca, "Chewie, just do it."

"But what about _Vader_?" Lando tried to ask, but Chewbacca quickly drowned him out with a series of growls. "All right all right all right!" Lando conceded, throwing up his hands in surrender. Chewbacca's hairy fingers worked nimbly at the ship's controls, and soon the _Millennium Falcon _was speeding back toward Cloud City.

In a few moments, the _Millennium Falcon_ was within visual range of Cloud City. Lando's sharp eyes quickly spotted two figures hanging from the one of the weather vanes attached to Cloud City's base. He pointed out the large window of the cockpit toward the pair and said, "Look, someone's up there."

"Sora?" Kairi asked hopefully, craning her neck so that she might get a better look.

"_And_ Luke." Leia confirmed. "Chewie, slow down—slow down and we'll get under them. Lando, open the top hatch."

Lando proceeded immediately out of the cockpit and toward an elevator tube not too far away. The ship's top hatch opened up slowly as Lando ascended the elevator, which came to a stop when Lando finally poked out of the shaft.

Luke didn't have the faintest idea of who Lando was, but at the moment, that didn't matter. If there was someone poking out of the _Millennium Falcon_'s top hatch with arms reaching out to help him, Luke wasn't going to complain.

As the _Millennium Falcon_ positioned itself so that the hatch was directly below the two stranded comrades, Luke pushed Sora's unconscious body from the weather vane; Sora fell into Lando's awaiting arms. Lando quickly set Sora to the side as he prepared to catch Luke, who dropped from the weather vane only a moment later.

Back in the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_, Princess Leia happened to glance at one of the monitors. The Imperial TIE fighters were closing in fast on the _Falcon_, and would be opening fire at any time. "Lando?" Leia called into the ship's comlink, hoping that he was also aware of the fighters' presence.

She got her answer only a second later, when Lando's voice came from the other side of the comlink. "_Okay, let's go_."

Chewbacca's fingers danced across the ship's controls, and soon the _Millennium Falcon_ was blasting off into Bespin's upper atmosphere once again. This time, though, it had three TIE fighters on its tail. But, just as before, no one was really paying attention to them.

Kairi and Leia both rose form their seats and headed to the more open space in the back of the cockpit. Lando had just entered, supporting both Sora and Luke with his shoulders. A blanket had been draped around Luke's body in order to provide him with some small comfort, but Sora's unconscious state severely limited what comforts would be of use to him. Leia took Luke in her arms, both to comfort him and to help him stand. Lando expected Kairi to do the same for Sora, but she made no move to do so. In fact she made no move at all. She couldn't even try.

Kairi was _horrified_.

Out of all the times she'd seen Sora in pain, this one was the worst. His skin was a sickly pale, covered from head to foot in bruises and burns. Two of his shoulders and one of his thighs had holes running through them, which were slowly bleeding. It was easy to see that he was having great difficulty breathing—he inhaled only in short, loud rasps that occurred at progressively longer intervals. And as Lando dragged Sora across the cockpit floor, Kairi noticed that Sora's spine was bending in an _unnatural_ way.

Kairi had seen Sora in pain before. She had seen him suffer at the hands of such entities as the Horned King and, much more recently, Darth Vader. Kairi could always sense Sora's pain in her heart, and it always made her sick to see him suffer. But this time was the worst of all.

This time, Sora was _dying_.

She could feel it in her heart. She could feel the life slowly slipping away from him, could practically hear his heartbeat as it grew fainter and fainter. Darth Vader had shown no mercy. Sora would not die quickly or painlessly, as he had (albeit only temporarily) when he'd cast himself into the Black Cauldron three years ago. No, Darth Vader was not that merciful. Sora's death would be slow and agonizing, and Kairi would be forced to watch until her husband draw his final, rasping breath.

No. She could not think like that. She could almost hear Sora telling her to have hope, to believe that everything would be all right in the end, no matter the odds against them. And so Kairi reached into the depths of her own heart to find that hope—once she found it, she held on tight and refused to let it go. She forced back her tears and wiped away the ones already on her face. Sora _would_ make it, but Kairi would have to do her part to make sure it happened.

At last, Kairi took Sora in her arms, supporting him as best she could. He was not quite as heavy as she'd expected, and she had only a little trouble keeping him upright. She was still too overwhelmed by what had happened to speak, and so she wordlessly followed Leia and Luke as they headed out of the cockpit.

Now that Luke and Sora were being taken care of, Lando Calrissian was free to climb into the pilot's seat of the ship. The _Millennium Falcon_ was still being pursued by three Imperial TIE fighters. "All right, Chewie, let's go." Lando instructed the Wookiee copilot. After the two activated a series of buttons and switches, the _Millennium Falcon _increased power to its thrusters and blasted out of Bespin's atmosphere.

* * *

As the _Falcon_ blasted into space, Kairi and Leia succeeded in getting Sora and Luke to a set of bunks located in a chamber elsewhere on the ship. The _Millennium Falcon_ was decently equipped with emergency medical supplies, and Leia and Kairi were able to begin patching up Luke's and Sora's wounds. In addition to utilizing the _Falcon_'s medical equipment (after being briefly instructed in its use by Leia), Kairi propped Sora up and gave him every potion she'd brought in her purse; she was relieved to see that Sora could still swallow these potions, and took it as a sign that he _would_ make it. But even after the last potion was drained, several of Sora's many wounds had managed to remain, including the holes in his shoulders and thigh. Kairi bandaged what was left of Sora's injuries as best she could, hoping that _somehow_, _some way_, Sora would make it through this alive.

By this time, Leia was already finished treating Luke's injuries. An autotourniquet had been placed at the end of Luke's right arm, where his hand should have been, ands the rest of Luke's wounds had been bound to the best of Leia's ability. Once Leia had finished her task, she decided that it would be best if she returned to the cockpit. "I'll be back." she told Luke; she next turned to Kairi and looked grimly upon Sora's many injuries. Leia tried to offer words of consolation to Kairi, but found that she could think of none. Leia only shook her head sadly before heading out of the chamber.

Upon entering the cockpit, Leia took her seat in the navigator's chair behind Lando. The three Imperial TIE fighters were peppering the _Millennium Falcon_'s deflector shields with cannon fire; Chewbacca and Lando were both working the ship's controls as quickly as they could, trying to keep the_ Falcon_ intact as it sped away from the planet Bespin.

Suddenly, something caught Leia's eye as she looked through the great window at the front of the cockpit. It was a _ship_, triangular in shape and exceptionally massive in size. "Star Destroyer." Leia observed, pointing in the direction of the enormous ship. But as Lando Calrissian followed Leia's gaze, he realized that this was no mere Star Destroyer.

It was the _Executor_, the flagship of Darth Vader.

Though Lando was at first shaken by the appearance of the _Executor_, he did his best not to show it as he instructed Chewbacca, "All right, Chewie. Ready for lightspeed."

"_If_ your people fixed the hyperdrive." Leia added, rising from her seat to set the necessary coordinates. She had a good reason to be skeptical: the hyperdrive had disappointed her twice before, and the trustworthiness of Lando's men was dubious, at best. Once her brief task was finished, Leia said, "All the coordinates are set. It's now or never."

"Punch it!" Lando exclaimed. Chewbacca reached out to hit the accelerator, but as soon as he did so, it became apparent that something was _very_ wrong. The hyperdrive engine made a strange scraping noise for a moment, then slowly began to shut down. As it did so, a blast from one of the TIE fighters' cannons rocked the ship. Leia sat back in her seat, glaring at Lando; Chewbacca let out a flustered howl. Clearly, the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive was still broken—in fact, it seemed even worse than before.

Lando stared blankly at the monitors in front of him for a moment, scarcely able to believe what was happening. He'd been betrayed! "They told me they fixed it!" Lando marveled in disbelief. Chewbacca rose from the copilot's seat and dashed to the main hold, hoping to repair the hyperdrive from there. Lando was shouting in frustration as he moved into the copilot's seat so that he could reach the hyperdrive controls. "I _trusted_ them to _fix_ it! It's not my _fault_!"

* * *

In the main hold of the _Millennium Falcon_, R2-D2 and C-3PO were facing a small crisis of their own. C-3PO was seated upon a crate against the wall, with R2-D2 by his side. R2-D2 had been hard at work since entering the ship, doing his best to put his friend together once more. R2-D2 was nearly finished now, and C-3PO was nearly reassembled—only his lower left leg needed to be reattached. The protocol droid held this part across his lap as R2-D2 worked on C-3PO's right foot with a retractable tool.

C-3PO was surprised when Chewbacca came sprinting into the hold, growling loudly as he flung panels up from the floor in order to access a small pit, wherein resided the _Millennium Falcon_'s hyperdrive engine.

C-3PO, being a droid designed for etiquette and practicality, did not understand what all the fuss was about. "Noisy brute." the protocol droid muttered. "Why don't we just go to lightspeed?"

R2-D2 responded with a series of beeps and tootles, all the while still working on C-3PO's foot. "We _can't_?" C-3PO translated, seeming a bit doubtful. "How would _you_ know the hyperdrive is deactivated?"

R2-D2 replied with a few more beeps and whistles.

"The city's central computer told you?" C-3PO questioned, still not satisfied with the astromech droid's answer. "Artoo-Deetoo, you know better than to trust a strange computer!"

By this time, R2-D2 was getting a bit annoyed with the golden protocol droid, and _accidentally_ shot a spark from his repair tool that shocked C-3PO's foot. "Ouch!" C-3PO exclaimed. "Pay attention to what you're doing!"

In the pit only a few feet away, Chewbacca attacked the hyperdrive engine with a mechanical repair tool called a fusioncutter. An unexpected surge of electricity shot between the fusioncutter and the hyperdrive engine, resulting in a much larger surge that caused the _Millennium Falcon_'s cockpit to start spraying sparks.

* * *

Not far away from the main hold, Kairi still kept watch over Sora and Luke as they rested in their bunks. Not surprisingly, much of Kairi's attention was focused on Sora; even throughout the many crises going on both within and without the ship, Kairi never once left her husband's side. The first aid treatments and potions she'd given him were beginning to do their work—Sora's breathing was not as labored as it had been, and his wounds were beginning to look better. The holes in his shoulders and thigh were still nasty, but at least Kairi could no longer see through them. Sora's body was healing, slowly but surely; though it broke Kairi's heart a thousand times over to see him in such pain, her hope that he would survive was becoming stronger.

Even so, she was quite surprised when Sora's eyes fluttered open. He paid little attention to his surroundings before his eyes locked with Kairi's, and his mouth upturned into a weak smile. "Kairi…" he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper.

He made a feeble attempt to reach out to touch her, but Kairi quickly stopped him. "Hush." she said softly, putting a hand to his forehead. "You shouldn't even be awake right now. You _really_ need to take it easy."

"Well," Sora replied, his voice still weak, "_that_ shouldn't be too much of a problem. I can't feel my legs."

Kairi's body froze and her eyes grew wider than Sora had ever seen them before. So _that_ was why Sora's spine had seemed unusually flexible. Darth Vader must have _broken_ it! Kairi's mind raced as she tried to calculate what this could mean. The entirety of Sora's lower body was paralyzed. Could that be _reversed_? Was there some manner of science or sorcery that could _help_ Sora? Or would he have survived his close call with Vader only to be rendered a paraplegic for the rest of his life? Was there a single chance in all the worlds that Sora, the Keyblade Master whose strength and skill had gotten him through battles beyond count, ever so much as _walk_ again?

It was a scary thing to think about—a thing which made Kairi's tears begin to once again flow freely from her eyes. She wished more than anything that Sora were able to wipe those tears from her eyes, as he had done on so many occasions, but then she was reminded that it was because of Sora that she was crying in the first place.

Just when Kairi thought she could take no more bad news, she discovered that Sora was not yet finished. "And there's something worse. Darth Vader… is _Anakin Skywalker_."

For the second time over the course of the past sixty seconds, Kairi found herself overwhelmed with shock. "_No_," she whispered, "not _Annie_! He could _never_ turn into that monster! The Anakin I know would _never_ have done all this to us—to _you_!"

"The Anakin we know is _gone_." Sora replied. His voice was weak, but that could not mask the unbearable sadness it conveyed. "The whole _galaxy_ as we knew it is gone. Everything's changed…"

Sora could say no more before he once again drifted into unconsciousness, overwhelmed by the pain that still racked his body. Kairi could do nothing but stare at her husband and let the tears come; they streamed down her face and dripped upon Sora's chest until they threatened to soak through his shirt. To see Sora in this condition—to know that he might never fully recover—was enough to break Kairi's heart. But to know that it was _Anakin_, the dear boy who had been such a good friend to her during Sora's brief fall to the dark side, had done this… it was _unspeakable_. It felt as though someone had taken the pieces of her broken heart and stomped all over them.

Kairi was beginning to wish that she and her friends had never come to this galaxy at all.

From his bunk on the opposite end of the chamber, Luke Skywalker had observed Sora and Kairi with sadness. He could not help but cast some of the blame of Sora's condition upon himself. He had _helped_ Sora, had fought _alongside_ him. Something like this should never have happened on Luke's watch. He did not know what words could ever console a heart as broken as Kairi's, but Luke opened his mouth to try nonetheless…

_Luke…_

Luke's statement stopped before it ever began as he heard the word. Darth Vader was calling out to him, trying to reach him even now. There were many names Luke could think of to call Vader after everything he'd done, but in the end, one name stood out far more prominently than the rest:

"Father?"

_Son,_ replied the echo of the Sith Lord's voice in Luke's mind, _come with me_.

Luke's head was still reeling at the idea. His father was a Sith Lord, a servant of the Empire. He was an _enemy_, to be feared and hated until at last his evil could be purged from the galaxy. But he was also Luke's father, something that Luke had dreamed of since the earliest of his childhood days. Obi-Wan—old Ben Kenobi, Luke's own _mentor_, had claimed that Anakin was dead. But why had he done so, knowing full well of Luke's parentage. Why the lies, why the deception?

"Ben," Luke murmured quietly to himself, "why didn't you tell me?"

As another explosion of cannon fire rocked the _Millennium Falcon_, Luke decided that he'd had enough of lying in his bunk and waiting. He was strong enough to walk (at least for a little while), and thus decided to head into the cockpit. Kairi noticed his actions as he rose from his bunk, and she asked him, "Where are you going?"

"The cockpit." Luke replied. "Don't worry about me—I can make it." With a smile, he added, "You should worry about Sora more than anything else right now."

Kairi gave him a very curt nod and allowed him to exit the chamber without further delay.

Luke wasn't surprised by the looks he received from Leia and Lando as he entered the cockpit. He must have been quite a sight to them, battered and bruised as he was, with an autotourniquet where his right hand should have been. He probably shouldn't have been walking around, he knew, but this was an important matter. "It's Vader." he explained; Lando and Leia instantly seemed to understand. Slowly, Luke slumped into a vacant seat in the cockpit and stared blankly out the large window.

Darth Vader was speaking to him again.

_Luke,_ the voice of Darth Vader implored his son, _it is your _destiny_…_

Luke could only close his eyes and take a deep breath, trying to clear his head of the temptation to take Vader up on his offer. Luke knew he had to be strong, for his friends if not for himself, but it was difficult to be so when a single question continued to swirl about in his mind: "Ben, why didn't you tell me?"

* * *

"Artoo, come back at once!"

In the main hold of the _Millennium Falcon_, R2-D2 was speeding along as fast as he could. The little astromech droid was determined to help get the _Falcon_ into hyperspace and out of harm's way, but he knew that it would be much easier to do so if C-3PO would get off his case. The gold-plated protocol droid was standing on one foot, the lower part of his left leg still unattached. C-3PO waved the part about with his hand as he shouted, "You haven't finished with _me_ yet!"

R2-D2 didn't listen (as was the norm when C-3PO shouted at him) as he sped past the pit which contained a very frustrated Chewbacca, who was still working frantically with the hyperdrive. The astromech droid only came to a stop only when he reached the main engineering console, a large computer console that controlled the most vital mechanisms of the ship. "You don't know how to fix the hyperdrive!" C-3PO huffed as he saw what R2-D2 was doing. "_Chewbacca _can do it!"

R2-D2 still wasn't paying attention. He soon located a small, square-shaped hole in the side of the console, just inside of which were located several wires and circuits. R2-D2 extended a small mechanical arm from his cylindrical body, still making a point to ignore C-3PO as the protocol droid exclaimed, "I'm standing here in pieces, and _you're_ having delusions of grandeur!"

R2-D2 at last tootled a response as he found the wire he'd been looking for. He moved the wire to reroute the circuit that fed electricity to the hyperdrive. As soon as he did so, the main engineering console began to glow, and the whole ship bucked as the hyperdrive kicked in. R2-D2 let out a loud mechanical shriek as the force of the buck sent him reeling backward until he fell into the pit behind him, landing on top of Chewbacca. As he struggled to regain his bearings, the little astromech droid could vaguely hear C-3PO cry, "You did it!"

R2-D2 was pretty proud of himself after that. He _had _done it, and he expected a nice, _long_ oil bath as a reward later.

* * *

Admiral Firmus Piett took a surprised step forward as the _Millennium Falcon_ suddenly winked out of sight.

Admiral Piett, along with a fair few other Imperial officers, had been watching the _Falcon_ for quite some time now from the command bridge of the _Executor_. Darth Vader had also been present upon the bridge, having made his way to the _Executor_ quickly after finishing his duel in Cloud City's underbelly. It was from the command bridge that Darth Vader had tried to communicate with Luke, and where he too had watched the _Millennium Falcon_ disappear into hyperspace.

The plan had been a simple one, Piett remembered. The Imperials stationed in Cloud City had sabotaged the _Millennium Falcon_'s hyperdrive so that the ship wouldn't be able to escape; then, from the air, TIE fighters would wear the _Falcon_ down until it was within range of the _Executor_'s tractor beam. Then, Vader would have been able to dispatch his Imperial Stormtroopers inside the ship to take Luke captive and kill everyone else aboard. Piett had been envisioning the nice, big promotion (with salary boost) he'd have surely received if he'd succeeded in making Darth Vader's plan a reality.

All those hopes had been dashed, however, when the _Millennium Falcon_ had blasted into hyperspace.

Now, Piett just hoped that Vader wouldn't _kill_ him.

Fortunately for Piett, recent events had not put Vader in a killing mood. That was _twice_ that his son had slipped through his grasp. Luke was not going to turn to the dark side easily, and a pang of sadness shot through Vader's cold, chained heart as he realized that his son wanted nothing to _do_ with him.

Alas, Vader could do nothing to assuage his sadness. He'd already taken all of his rage out on Sora, and now he found none left to compel him to punish anyone, not even the admiral that had failed him.

That was the problem with being a Sith Lord. The Sith relied on passion and anger for their strength, and these were indeed powerful weapons… while they lasted. But when the passion ran dry and the anger ran cold, there was nothing but emptiness left inside a Sith Lord's heart. Darth Vader was familiar with this emptiness—he'd felt it every day since he'd fallen to the dark side. Today, he'd thought he'd found a son to _fill_ that emptiness, but that son had rejected him for everything he'd become.

Darth Vader had expected to leave Cloud City with his son by his side, but instead he'd emerged more alone than ever before.

Darth Vader stared out the viewport of the _Executor_'s command bridge for a moment or two after the _Millennium Falcon_ had left, pondering these things. He could sense the fear of every Imperial officer on the bridge's upper level as well as every engineer on the lower level as they all stared at him. He knew they were watching, waiting to see what his reaction to this failure would be. Each and every one of their lives depended on what sort of mood Vader was in.

Darth Vader barely acknowledged the existence of any of the officers or engineers as he slowly turned around and made his way across the upper level of the bridge. His stride was slow and deliberate, and the Sith Lord briefly took note that every eye on the bridge was watching him pass. But Vader only stared straight ahead as he exited the bridge.

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

The Rebel Alliance rendezvous point was quite a sight to behold. Many diverse vessels of equally diverse functions—from the small X-wing fighters to large Mon Calamari cruisers—were all gathered at this one location, the smaller ships flying around the larger ones like bees tending their hives. Indeed, the entirety of the Rebel fleet was gathered here, safe from Imperial eyes.

The rendezvous point was a secure location, in one of the most distant corners of the galaxy. It was high above the galaxy's equatorial plane and positioned just outside of the galaxy's gravity well, making it a dangerous place to reach for Rebel and Imperial forces alike.

The _Millennium Falcon_ had made this journey nonetheless, and it soon found itself docking aboard the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate _Redemption_.

The _Redemption_, like most other Nebulon-B frigates, was considerable in size. It was a total of three hundred meters in length, and divided into two parts: a large one at the front, and a smaller one at the rear. Running between these two parts was a midsection connecting spar, to which were attached the frigate's docking tubes.

However, the _Redemption_ differed from other frigates of its type in one important way: it was the Rebel Alliance medical frigate. It had been extensively modified for this purpose, able to treat 745 patients at once, most of which were able to return to active duty in mere days. The _Redemption_ was one of the most effective medical facilities in the galaxy, which was exactly what those aboard the _Falcon_ needed.

If Sora and Luke were going to recover, their chances were best here.

Lando, Leia, Luke, Kairi, and Chewbacca were all gathered in the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_ as it drew close to the _Redemption_. R2-D2 was with C-3PO in the main hold, finishing up his repair job on the protocol droid. Sora was still in his bunk, though his pain-induced unconsciousness had slowly transformed into a restful, much-needed sleep (indeed, it was only once Sora had reached this point that Kairi had consented to leave his side).

Lando was in the pilot's seat, adjusting the course of the _Millennium Falcon_ so that it could attach to one of the docking tubes. But as he looked out the window of the cockpit, he noticed something strange.

A ship was already connected to one of the _Redemption_'s docking tubes, and it was like no vessel Lando had ever seen before. "Hey, guys," he addressed the others in the cockpit, "anyone recognize that ship?"

Apparently, Lando was the only one aboard who _didn't_ recognize the craft; but, like Lando, no one was at all sure of how it had managed to get to the Rebel Alliance rendezvous point. Kairi was the first to recover from this initial surprise. "It's the _Cygnus_!" she declared. She didn't know what it was doing there, but she didn't care. If the _Cygnus_ was attached to the _Redemption_, then that meant King Mickey and company were already aboard the medical frigate. As the _Millennium _Falcon attached to the docking tube next to the _Cygnus_, Kairi felt her thoughts taking an optimistic turn for the first time since she'd set foot on Cloud City.

Sure enough, as Kairi and her friends boarded the _Redemption _a few moments later, they were greeted by a warm, friendly voice. "Hiya, fellas!"

King Mickey was standing in one of the _Redemption_'s many operating theaters, with Riku, Taran, Donald, and Goofy just behind him. Their faces were cheerful as they greeted the party from the _Millennium Falcon_, but those smiles quickly transformed into grim frowns when they caught sight of Luke and Sora (Luke was still capable of walking independently, but Lando Calrissian had been forced to carry Sora's sleeping form all the way there).

"Oh no…" Donald murmured sadly, his head drooping.

"Not Sora!" Goofy wailed.

Taran turned to look at Riku. "Is he…"

Riku shook his head. "No. He's still breathing—for now. But what I don't understand is who could _possibly_ do that to Sora."

"Quick!" King Mickey exclaimed, gesturing toward one of the elevated beds in the operating theater. "We gotta start workin' on him as fast as we can!"

Despite not having a clue who King Mickey was, or even what _species_ he was supposed to be, Lando Calrissian obeyed without a word. He laid Sora gently upon the bed, taking extra care not to jostle Sora's broken spine.

While this was being done, Mickey nodded toward Princess Leia. "Luke looks pretty bad, too. Why don't' ya see about gettin' him some help? And try to send some medics down here, if ya can."

Leia nodded and led Luke out of the operating theater, heading off to go find help; Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 went with them, leaving only Kairi and Lando in the room with Mickey's party. As soon as the group of five had left, Mickey turned to the bed where Sora lay. With a gesture of his hand, Mickey cast a potent Curaja spell upon Sora, immediately removing all but the most severe of his bruises and burns—even the holes in Sora's shoulders and thigh were starting to seal up.

Now, there was nothing to do but wait for the medics to arrive.

After a moment, Riku slowly approached Kairi. "What happened?" he asked bluntly. "Who did this?"

"Darth Vader." Kairi replied. "He set a trap for us. And thanks to _Lando_ here, we all walked right into it."

Riku instantly shot a reproachful look at Lando, who found that he could not return the stare. Lando may have been older than Riku by a few years, but something about Riku still managed to frighten him (actually, Lando reflected, Riku reminded him of Darth Vader in more ways than one). Lando could only stare at the floor as he said, "I know I'm indirectly responsible for what happened to Sora and Luke, and I'm sorrier than I could ever tell you. But now that I've seen the Empire's cruelty firsthand, I want to help stamp it out once and for all."

"And that's what counts." King Mickey told Lando as he approached. "All ya gotta do is follow your heart, and I _know_ you'll do the right thing."

Lando raised a brow at the diminutive mouse king. "And you are?"

"Oh!" Mickey exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "My name's King Mickey Mouse, and these are my friends." Mickey then made a sweeping gesture around the room as his comrades each introduced themselves.

By the time the introductions were made, the sound of many booted footsteps could be heard echoing through the halls. A moment later, a team of ten medical officers and three medical droids burst into the operating theater. As soon as the team leader caught sight of Sora, he looked to King Mickey. "One of your friends, Your Majesty?"

Mickey nodded. "Yup. You fellas do what ya can with him. Me and Donald can come in later and start helpin' out with our magic."

The medical officer nodded. "Affirmative. In the meantime, Your Majesty, I'm gonna have to ask you and your other friends to leave."

Mickey acknowledged the officer's command with a nod of his own. "Come on, fellas. Let's go check on Luke."

Kairi took a long look at Sora. She had no doubt that Sora was in capable hands, but she was still concerned for his well-being. She could only continue to stand there, unwilling to leave her husband even for a moment, until Riku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Kairi. You'll see."

Kairi had been trying to tell herself that for a good while now, but hearing someone else say it eased her mind a bit. With a slow nod, she silently consented to accompany the others out of the operating theater.

Soon, they reached the surgery suite where Luke was being treated for his injuries—most notably, young Skywalker was to receive a mechanical right hand to replace the one he'd lost. Luke was lying upon a soft bed as Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 observed two medical droids (a blue humanoid droid called 2-1B and a cylindrical one known as FX-7) prepared to construct his replacement hand. To help keep Luke's mind from the procedure, and to make sure everyone knew the whole story, King Mickey began to ask about what had happened since he and his party had gone off to Dagobah.

Kairi, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO began to tell the tale. The told of how they'd nearly been swallowed by the exogorth, how they had escaped the asteroid belt of Hoth, and how they had eventually come to land on Cloud City. Lando was able to add to the narrations of his friends as they spoke of the horrors they had experienced on the planet Bespin, and of how Han Solo had been frozen in carbonite. Then it was Luke's turn to narrate as he talked of how valiantly Sora had fought alongside him against Darth Vader, and of how—despite their best efforts—the Sith Lord had been able to soundly defeat them both. By the time the tale was finished, every face in the surgery suite was dominated by a grave frown.

Then, it was time for Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Taran to share their account. They (with help from Luke) spoke of how they had met up with young Skywalker and R2-D2 on Dagobah, and of their peculiar meeting with Yoda. They recounted the details of Luke's training under Yoda's tutelage, and of the many discussions between Yoda and Mickey (both Riku and Mickey were very careful to keep Riku's experience in the cave with Xehanort a secret—poor Kairi was under too much stress as it was to hear of something like that). Then, they told of the final disagreement between Yoda and Mickey that caused Mickey and his friends to leave Dagobah, in search of a new place to stay.

Apparently, the _Cygnus_ had wandered around in space for a good while as King Mickey had meditated, trying to find exactly where he and his comrades needed to be. During the ship's wanderings, it had come dangerously close to the large gravity well that surrounded the galaxy like a thick, protective wall. That was _exactly_ when King Mickey had returned from his meditations, saying that wherever they needed to be was on the other side of the gravity well. It had been a difficult, hazardous passage, but the _Cygnus_ had eventually made it to the other side, where it had come across the Rebel Alliance rendezvous point. The ship had immediately been hailed by the Supreme Commander the Rebel fleet, a Mon Calamari named Admiral Ackbar. Ackbar had instructed those aboard the _Cygnus_ to dock upon the _Redemption_, where it and those aboard it had stayed until the _Millennium Falcon_ had arrived. During that time, Mickey and his party had become acquainted with a good number of the _Redemption_'s crewmembers, who had since insisted on referring to Mickey as "Your Majesty."

Thus, the storytelling was finished, and not a moment too soon. As King Mickey and his party finished their account, a medical officer stepped into the surgery suite and saluted. "Your Majesty," he addressed King Mickey, "you and Donald Duck are requested to come with me immediately. It's about Sora."

Mickey nodded. "Come on, Donald. Let's go."

"On it, Your Majesty!" Donald quacked.

Mickey and Donald began to follow the officer out of the suite, but Mickey suddenly paused near the doorway. He turned around to look directly at Kairi, and he saw her eyes looking pleadingly into his. Mickey smiled as he told her, "We'll get him outta this, Kairi. Don't worry."

The calmness and kindness of Mickey's voice filled Kairi with a sense of peace, and she no longer had any doubt.

Sora _would_ make it. He _had_ to.

* * *

Hours passed. Kairi had spent most of that time sleeping in one of the _Redemption_'s many unoccupied chambers, and most of her friends had done the same (the droids had been treated to a soothing oil bath and a chance to shut down for a while, which they had desperately needed). Eventually, though, nearly everyone had returned to the surgery suite where 2-1B and FX-7 were putting the finishing touches on Luke's new hand. In fact, only four of the large group of friends did _not_ return to that particular room.

The first two were Mickey and Donald. They had been helping the _Redemption_'s medical staff with their healing magic ever since Sora's operations had begun, and they were still hard at work. The combination of science and sorcery was sure to be a powerful one, of that there could be no doubt, but still Kairi found herself wondering just how effective such a combination could be. Her worry for Sora had even filled her dreams as she'd slept; now that she was awake, her heart ached for him all the more.

The second pair of companions who did not return to the surgery suite was Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca. Lando, eager to atone for his past misdeeds, had insisted on heading out as soon as possible to find Han Solo. Chewbacca had agreed to go with him, and the two were now sitting in the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_, which was still attached to one of the docking tubes of the _Redemption_.

Now, Lando was speaking to Luke via a comlink that Luke held in his left hand as 2-1B worked on his right. "_Luke, we're ready for takeoff_."

"Good luck, Lando." Luke answered. Luke was still lying upon the elevated bed, but it had been adjusted to an upright position so that it might be easier for Luke to work. Leia was standing quietly at the foot of the bed, listening to the conversation; Kairi was standing with the rest of her friends a few feet away, gazing out at a beautiful star cluster through the viewport of the surgery suite.

"_When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you_." Lando went on, recapping a plan that he and Luke had devised a short while ago.

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine." Luke acknowledged.

"_Princess_," Lando addressed Leia, knowing that she was listening, "_we'll find Han. I promise. And Kairi—I really hope Sora turns out all right_."

Luke waited for either Leia or Kairi to say something, but they did not. They were both too deep in thought to say much of anything. After a moment, Luke spoke into his comlink again. "Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal."

Luke had to grin as he heard the Wookiee howl over the comlink. His humor reflected in his voice as he warned, "Take care, you two. May the Force be with you."

Chewbacca howled once more, then the comlink turned off. Leia moved to join Kairi and the others in front of the viewport. Luke's attention turned back to 2-1B and FX-7, who had finally completed the construction of his new hand. 2-1B prodded the fingers of the new hand with a needle in order to test the artificial nerve connections, which prompted a few "ows" from Luke. As Luke waggled his fingers and opened and closed his hand, he knew that the procedure had been a success—it was almost as though he'd never lost his real hand at all!

At last, Luke rose from the bed and joined the rest of his friends in front of the viewport, watching as the _Millennium Falcon_ blasted off from the _Redemption_ before disappearing into hyperspace. Still, the group continued to gaze out the viewport for a moment, sharing a rare moment of collective tranquility.

That tranquility was shattered in an instant as the door to the surgery suite whooshed open. Everyone turned around as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck strode solemnly into the room with peculiar expressions on their faces, as though they didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Kairi instantly stepped forward to meet the mouse and duck. "How's Sora?" she asked curtly, her concern for her husband driving all other thoughts from her mind.

"Whelp," Mickey shrugged, shaking his head slowly, "his burns and bruises are gone. And those holes in his shoulders and his leg are sealed up."

"There aren't even any scars left." Donald added.

"So what's the problem?" Kairi asked. "He should be fine now, right?"

Mickey and Donald both shook their heads. "Not all the way." Donald answered grimly.

"It's his _back_ that's the problem." Mickey continued. "Darth Vader snapped it in half. They had to put it back together, then me and Donald had to fix it up with our magic. His back isn't broken anymore, but it'll be a while before he even gets the feeling in his legs back."

"It could take _months_ to get him walking again." Donald interjected.

Mickey saw the sadness washing over Kairi's features, and instantly tried to cheer her up with a smile of his own. "He's gonna be all right, Kairi." he reassured her. "It's just gonna take some time, that's all."

"That's right!" Donald agreed, his own face brightening. "He'll be all better by the time your baby gets here!"

"He's takin' a nap right now," Mickey informed Kairi, "but you can go see him as soon as he wakes up."

"Lazy bum." Kairi remarked with a smile as she placed a hand to her stomach. It was indeed reassuring to know that Sora would be back to his old self before the baby arrived. Kairi would be patient if she had to be, and vowed to be there to help Sora get back on his feet (in the literal as well as metaphorical sense). Sora was going to be all right, and Lando was already on the hunt for Han Solo—Leia was sure to be reunited with him soon.

Things in the galaxy were finally looking better.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! A very long chapter indeed. I'm not entirely sure if the chapter itself was entirely up to snuff, but I can tell you now that I did struggle with it. Whether I struggled in vain or not shall be entirely up to you, dear readers.**

**That wraps things up in Episode V. The next chapter shall mark the beginning of Episode VI, my personal favorite of the Star Wars original trilogy. With luck, we'll get through that more quickly than we did Episode V.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	15. Interlude

**A/N: Hello again! **

**This chapter is a a very short one, basically my own variation of the "opening crawl" at the beginning of a Star Wars movie. i think this deserved its own chapter, and it will give me the opportunity to deliver an announcement or two at the end.**

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**Chapter 15: Interlude**

_Not so long ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . ._

KINGDOM HEARTS: SHADOW OF AN EMPIRE (PART 2)

FEATURING STAR WARS EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI

Six months have passed since Sora and his numerous allies first traveled to the icy planet Hoth at the beginning of their visit to that galaxy far, far away.

During that time, much had changed. Just over six months had gone by since the existence of Sora and Kairi's unborn child had first been announced. Kairi had been staying aboard the medical frigate _Redemption_ so that Rebel Alliance medics might provide her with all that she might need during her pregnancy. Sora had also been staying here, undergoing rigorous medical treatment for the spine that Darth Vader had snapped during their duel in Cloud City. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck had also provided aid with powerful healing spells.

Sora's body had reacted very positively to the treatment, and he had regained his ability to walk after only four months under the care of the _Redemption_'s medical specialists. The fifth month had been a rather shaky one for Sora as he slowly became accustomed to using his legs again, but by the beginning of the sixth month, Sora had been walking about with such natural ease that it was difficult to believe he'd ever been paralyzed at all. Kairi had been overjoyed by Sora's speedy recovery, and the two of them were now eagerly awaiting the birth of their child. They had insisted that the medical droids not reveal what the baby's gender would be; they had wanted to be surprised.

The rest of the Rebels had not been idle during this time. Many of Sora's friends had aided in the search for Han Solo, as well as various other missions throughout the galaxy. Luke had even managed to construct a new lightsaber for himself—with a blade of glowing emerald green—using facilities in Obi-Wan Kenobi's old dwelling on Tatooine.

During that time, the bounty hunter Boba Fett—who had been chased all across the galaxy by rival bounty hunters for the past six months—had finally delivered the frozen form of Han Solo to the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Once this information had been confirmed by the Rebel Alliance, plans were made to rescue Captain Solo, and the entire company was filled with a new sense of hope as preparations were made for the plans to get underway.

However, the Rebel Alliance remained blissfully unaware of the greater plot conceived in the mind of Emperor Palpatine and his apprentice, Darth Vader. It was a massive space station called the _Death Star II_, a heavily modified successor to the original Death Star that Luke Skywalker had destroyed nearly four years before. Once completed, it would spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy…

* * *

**A/N: And there you go. All the information you'll need before we dive into the world of Star Wars: Episode VI.**

**Now, for those of you who've been paying attention, you may remember that at the beginning of this story, I'd said that the Star Wars Expanded Universe would be torn to shreds. Well... I lied. I had initially planned on doing a very lengthy segment between Episodes V and VI, but lack of knowledge and motivation on my part have made me realize that I don't want to bother with it anymore. We're going straight on to Episode VI. I hope no one is disappointed.**

**Now, unless you somehow managed to discover this update and read it in a matter of just over ten seconds, then Chapter 16 is up for you as well. Enjoy!**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	16. Jabba's Palace

**A/N: Here it is, Chapter 16. Now, just as an extra precaution to make sure no one is caught off guard, here is a special reminder just for you:**

**This is indeed Chapter _16_. Chapter 15 was uploaded only a few seconds before this one was, so make sure you go back and read it if you haven't already. It is very short, but very crucial to bringing you up to speed as far as this story is concerned. If/when you have read Chapter 15, then feel free to read this chapter. BUT NOT UNTIL THEN! As a matter of fact, don't read another word of this chapter unless you've read Chapter 15 first. Thank you.**

**Up to speed now? Good! On with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Jabba's Palace**

The second Death Star was not yet complete. In fact, it wasn't even _close_.

The space station hovered idly above the forest moon of Endor, drawn by the moon's gravity into a lazy orbit around it. The Death Star would, when finished, be a spherical structure plated with heavy armor. At present, less than half of the station was armored—skeletal steel girders were left exposed in numerous places, wrapping like a rib cage around the heart of the station—an internal reactor core that ran vertically from pole to pole within the Death Star. Portions of the framework of its eastern hemisphere had not yet been built, so the space station looked almost as though some monstrous space creature had taken two large bites out of it.

The station would be a grand thing when it was completed—over nine hundred kilometers in width. Its main weapon was a concave dish composite beam superlaser—a concave, circular dish with eight tributary lasers arrayed around its edge. Each of the tributary lasers alone was powerful enough to destroy a battle cruiser with a single shot, but when _converged_, the eight tributaries became a single, massive beam powerful enough to destroy an entire _world_. The new Death Star's superlaser could be charged in a matter of minutes, and would be far more efficient than the twenty-four-hour charging time of the previous model. The Death Star that housed this powerful superlaser would be protected not only with armor, but by a wide array of laser and ion cannons spread throughout its surface in order to vanquish would-be attackers.

As it was, this second Death Star was still vulnerable. It was protected only by a deflector shield encompassing it, powered by a small Imperial outpost on the surface of the forest moon of Endor. The deflector shield was powerful enough to deflect any sort of attack, but it was still unwise to rely on that little outpost for too long. Emperor Palpatine was very anxious to have the new Death Star finished as soon as possible in order to rid it of this dependence.

That was why he had sent Darth Vader to pay a little visit to the station.

Darth Vader's personal Imperial shuttle landed slowly and gracefully inside one of the many hangar bays lining the equatorial trench of the Death Star, where it touched down upon a deck of polished black metal. One of the control officers observing the landing finally turned to face the shield operators that had given the shuttle access to the hangar. "Inform the commander that Lord Vader's shuttle has arrived." the officer stated.

"Sir." the shield operator acknowledged promptly before passing the message along.

The commander of the second Death Star was a man named Jerjerrod. He had been chosen by Emperor Palpatine himself, not because of his strength or ambition, but rather because of his lack thereof. Palpatine wanted someone commanding the Death Star that he could easily control—a plan that had worked well during the station's construction. However, now that the construction of the space station was falling behind schedule, intervention had become necessary.

Jerjerrod was nervous, to say the least, as he proceeded to meet Darth Vader's shuttle. Though he was flanked to the left and right by a train of Imperial officers and Stormtroopers, the commander couldn't quite shake the feeling of being alone. He hadn't been expecting Darth Vader's arrival, and the Sith Lord was not known to drop by unexpectedly for _social_ visits.

As soon as he'd received word of Vader's arrival, Jerjerrod had realized that something was _horribly_ wrong.

Still, Jerjerrod folded his hands neatly behind his back and tried to put on a bold face as the landing ramp of Vader's shuttle began to lower. But as soon as the ramp hit the deck and the Sith Lord stepped forth, the sinister sound of his breath resounding throughout the hangar, Jerjerrod's mask of bravery was immediately replaced with a more fitting expression—one that prominently displayed his anxiety.

As Darth Vader approached, Jerjerrod immediately greeted him, "Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure; we are honored by your presence."

Darth Vader didn't even stop walking as he retorted, "You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. I'm here to put you back on schedule."

Jerjerrod was forced to walk at an uncomfortably fast pace to keep up with Darth Vader's long, powerful strides. That only added to his unease as he realized that he was indeed in trouble—the Sith Lord sounded _especially_ angry today. Knowing exactly what it meant to be _in trouble_ with Vader, Jerjerrod offered, "I assure you, Lord Vader, my men are working as fast as they can."

"Perhaps I can find new ways to _motivate_ them." Vader shot back. It was a bit unnerving to Jerjerrod as he noted that Vader never once made eye contact with him; his gaze was always straight ahead, adding to Jerjerrod's feeling of insignificance in comparison to the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Jerjerrod was beginning to panic. He stopped walking and said, more forcefully than would be considered wise when addressing a Sith, "I tell you, this station will be operational as planned."

Now, Vader _did_ turn to face Jerjerrod, and his stare was more than enough to put the Imperial commander back in his place. "The emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation."

"But he asks the _impossible_." Jerjerrod pleaded, though his voice never rose above the calm, respectful tone he'd been trained to use when speaking to his superiors. "I need more men."

Darth Vader's answer chilled Jerjerrod to the core. "Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives."

Jerjerrod swallowed hard. The _Emperor_? How much trouble was he really in if _Palpatine himself_ was descending from on high to come and personally oversee his progress? Jerjerrod knew that if he didn't toe the line this time, he most likely—most _certainly_—was going to die. Or perhaps he was a dead man already in Palpatine's eyes. Either way, the poor commander knew that the odds of survival were not in his favor.

All he said was, "The emperor's coming _here_?"

Jerjerrod could see his own frightened visage reflected in the lenses of Vader's helmet as the Sith Lord answered, "That is correct, Commander. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress."

Jerjerrod's breath caught in his throat. _Oh no_. The emperor _was_ angry at him. That never boded well for anybody. Jerjerrod had been standing as straight as he'd thought possible, but he managed to stand straighter still as he told Darth Vader, "We shall double our efforts."

"I hope so, Commander, for _your_ sake." Darth Vader answered, pointing a portentous black-gloved finger at him. "The emperor is not as _forgiving_ as I am."

Darth Vader stormed away without another word, but Jerjerrod still found himself paralyzed with fear. It was difficult to imagine anyone less forgiving than Darth Vader, but if the rumors he'd heard about the emperor were true, then Palpatine was indeed far, _far_ worse.

Either way, Jerjerrod had a sinking feeling that he was about to test those rumors for himself.

* * *

The planet Tatooine was just as hot and dry as Riku remembered it, and its twin suns blazed brilliantly in the sky. As the heat from those suns beat down on him from above, and the sand underfoot began to leak into his boots, Riku was reminded of just how much he'd _hated_ this planet.

Riku had gotten what he'd felt was the short end of the stick, as far as this rescue mission was concerned. Right now, he was saddled with R2-D2 and a _very_ whiny C-3PO as they went to present the terms for the release of Han Solo. The droids might have been able to handle the mission on their own, but Riku had been sent as a precaution, just in case Jabba tried something _unexpected_.

As the trio neared the entrance to Jabba's palace, R2-D2 whistled something to C-3PO. "Of _course_ I'm worried." C-3PO huffed in response. "And you should be, too. Lando Calrissian and poor Chewbacca never returned from this awful place."

"Stop complaining." Riku told the protocol droid. "We get the _easy_ job."

"Don't be so sure." C-3PO retorted. "I'm still not quite certain about that 'Keybearer' business of yours, but if I told you _half_ the things I've heard about this Jabba the Hutt, poor Artoo would probably short-circuit."

Riku only sighed and shook his head. He was sure he'd already heard everything there was to know about Jabba over the course of the past six months. As the Hutt's magnificent palace grew ever larger in the distance, Riku took the time to recap everything he'd learned.

Jabba Desilijic Tiure was revered as one of the most powerful crime lords in the galaxy. He was best known for his insatiable greed, quick temper, monstrous appetite, and love of both violent and lascivious forms of entertainment. He was malicious and pragmatic by nature, and cared little about anything that did not either benefit or threaten his numerous sources of income (all of which were perfectly illegal). He had a hand in such diverse crimes as slave trade, smuggling, gunrunning, and the occasional act of piracy. Jabba was drawn to anything he appraised as expensive or powerful, and liked to surround himself with displays of his great wealth and influence. His slimy, disgusting appearance was said to be a perfect complement to his vile nature.

The palace of Jabba the Hutt had previously served as a monastery of B'omarr monks, a rather mysterious cult that believed in enhancing the power of their minds by cutting themselves off from all physical sensation. Some of the more fanatic members of the B'omarr had actually gone so far as to _remove_ their brains, placing them in nutrient-filled jars. Rumors still existed of these B'omarr brains residing in the lower recesses of Jabba's palace, adding to the sense of mystery and danger it exuded.

The palace itself was a sand-colored construct consisting of several domed cylindrical towers, varying in height and width. The largest of these towers was a massive, impenetrable citadel; the entrance to this tower was a large, rusty iron door.

As Riku, C-3PO, and R2-D2 approached the door, the protocol droid turned to look at his two companions in turn. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

R2-D2 tootled a response, to which Riku added, "Yup. Unless you know of any other huge palaces in this part of the desert."

C-3PO knew that there _were_ no other palaces near here, and so he was forced to approach the door. "I'd better knock, I suppose." he said, mostly to himself, as he raised a hand and rapped very lightly upon the door. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here." he observed, sounding quite relieved. "Let's go back and tell Master Luke."

C-3PO was about to walk away, but Riku quickly held out an arm to stop him. "Hang on a minute." he said. "Look up there."

C-3PO looked in the direction of Riku's gaze and found, to his horror, that someone—or some_thing_—had indeed managed to hear his pitiful knock. A small, circular hatch on the door popped open, and from it extended a long mechanical arm. At the end of this arm was attached a great robotic eyeball with a built-in vocabulator, set within a metal shutter that opened and closed like a human eyelid. "Goodness gracious me!" C-3PO exclaimed as the mechanical eyeball moved close to his face.

The eyeball was clearly a surveillance droid installed for security purposes, judging by the way it stared at C-3PO and addressed him in the language called Huttese (the language of the Hutts and, naturally, the dominant language in Jabba's palace). Riku didn't know what the droid was saying, but he didn't like the way it was staring at him and his companions.

C-3PO, still fluent in over six million forms of communication, instantly seemed to understand. Riku watched with not a little amusement as the golden protocol droid made his reply. "Artoo-Deetoa," he said, gesturing toward the astromech droid. The surveillance droid's eye swiveled to look at R2-D2 for a moment, prompting a few nervous whistles from the droid; the eye then maneuvered to zoom in on Riku and barked something in Huttese. "_Riku_-a," C-3PO explained, gesturing toward his silver-haired friend. The surveillance droid quickly swiveled to examine C-3PO. "Bo See-threepioa," C-3PO added, "ay tuta mishka Jabba du Hutt?"

The surveillance droid uttered one more statement in Huttese before withdrawing into the door, making a noise that very much resembled _laughter_. Upon seeing this, C-3PO looked to Riku and said, "I don't think they're going to let us in."

"You think?" Riku retorted with a flustered tone, glaring up at the hatch whence the surveillance droid had come.

"We'd better go." C-3PO told his companions. The golden protocol droid had just turned around when heard the creaking of metal grinding against metal. He turned around and, to his surprise, found the door slowly rising. C-3PO's photoreceptors peered into the dark, cavernous hallway beyond the door as the entrance grew ever larger.

"Well, just look at that." Riku said with a smile, patting C-3PO on the shoulder. "Looks like we're in."

R2-D2 whistled and beeped in excitement, speeding underneath the door as soon as the opening was high enough to accommodate him. Riku followed soon after, ducking underneath the door. "You coming, Threepio?"

"Artoo!" C-3PO called, still standing just outside the entrance. "Riku! _Wait_! Oh, dear!"

At last, C-3PO acknowledged that neither R2-D2 nor Riku was going to turn around. Reluctantly, the golden protocol droid scuttled after his friends. "Now Riku, I really don't think we should rush into all this!"

Riku only rolled his eyes, while R2-D2 continued to bleep and tootle in excitement. C-3PO soon fell behind, shouting, "Oh! Riku! Riku, Artoo, _wait for me_!"

Riku finally gave in and paused a moment for C-3PO to catch up; R2-D2, on the other hand, only kept going. The astromech droid continued to rush through the great hallway, until at last he bumped into something hard. That _something hard_ happened to be a Gamorrean: a green-skinned, porcine humanoid with a large snout and thick, upturned tusks. Clad in heavy armor and wielding a large axe, the Gamorrean stared down at R2-D2 and grunted fiercely.

Riku quickly stepped between R2-D2 and the Gamorrean. He looked into the Gamorrean's beady eyes and said as cordially as he could, "Look, let's not try to start something you'll regret later. Artoo's sorry he bumped you. _Right_, Artoo?" Riku added, looking down at the astromech droid with a raised brow.

R2-D2 tootled in what seemed to be the affirmative.

By this time, C-3PO had managed to catch up to his comrades. "Just you deliver Master Luke's message and get us out of here!"

Suddenly, a second Gamorrean emerged from the shadows and came at the trio from the rear. Riku was tempted to summon his keyblade to his hands, but he refrained from doing so; _tact_ and _diplomacy_ were needed here, not violence.

The violence, if Riku remembered the plan correctly, would come later.

C-3PO and R2-D2 also took note of the Gamorreans on either side of them. R2-D2 let out a few low, frightened beeps, while C-3PO let out a few shouts of, "Oh! Oh my!"

After a moment, Riku heard the great metal door slam shut behind him, leaving only a _very_ dim light in the room. "Oh no." C-3PO murmured from beside him, moving closer to Riku as if seeking protection.

"Yup." Riku muttered under his breath. "We're screwed."

As soon as the words had passed Riku's lips, he heard a sinister, raspy voice shout something in Huttese.

Riku whipped around to see who the speaker might be. It was a male Twi'lek, with ivory-colored skin and two long _lekku_—tail-like appendages that grew from the back of all Twi'leks' skulls—wrapped around his sloped shoulders. This Twi'lek was dressed in long, flowing black robes; his eyes were a piercing shade of orange, and his fingernails looked rather like claws.

This was Bib Fortuna, majordomo of Jabba the Hutt.

Bib Fortuna eyed each of the three visitors in turn before asking, "Die Wanna Wanga?"

Riku shot a glance at C-3PO. "You wanna do the talking, or should I?"

"Oh my…" C-3PO murmured before addressing Bib with a gracious bow. "Die Wanna Wygo."

Another bark from Bib in Huttese prompted C-3PO to explain in his own language (for his Huttese was a tad rusty), "We—we bring a message to your master, Jabba the Hutt."

"Die Jabba Wanga?" Bib asked, seeming intrigued.

Seeing Bib's apparent interest, Riku stepped forward. "And a gift." he said.

"Gift?" C-3PO repeated. He hadn't heard _that_ part of the plan before. Riku had realized months ago that sometimes, the less C-3PO knew, the better. "_What_ gift?" the protocol droid queried.

"Ne Jabba no barta." Bib replied, reaching down to stroke the dome that served as R2-D2's head. "Eezai ohkto."

R2-D2 shuddered at Bib's touch as the Twi'lek asked, "Izzi kata o mohkti?"

R2-D2 shook his domed head. Whatever Bib was asking, it probably wasn't good. In fact, it almost looked like the majordomo was trying to take the gift for himself.

"Me chaada su goodie." Bib told the astromech droid, but R2-D2 only continued to shake his head. That Twi'lek _did_ want the gift for himself. At last, Bib decided to give up; he looked to C-3PO inquiringly.

"He says," C-3PO translated, both for Bib Fortuna and for Riku, "that our instructions are to give it only to Jabba _himself_."

Riku smirked at the Twi'lek, taking another step forward and looking him directly in the eye. "So how about we get a move on? Jabba probably wants our message—and our _gift_—as soon as possible. I know _I_ would."

One of the Gamorreans snarled and grunted at Bib, reminding him that Jabba was _not_ a patient Hutt. Bib's menacing orange eyes grew wide in fear for a moment, then shot an indignant glare at Riku. Riku returned this stare with a confident smirk as C-3PO apologized, "I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid they're ever so stubborn about these sort of things.

Bib continued to glare at Riku for a moment before turning away. "Noht cha!" he declared, signaling for his "guests" to accompany him down the hall.

Riku took the front of the procession, just behind Bib Fortuna. C-3PO stayed in the middle, where he felt safest, and R2-D2 brought up the rear. "I have a bad feeling about this." C-3PO groaned.

"Threepio," Riku snorted, "I don't think I've ever seen you have a _good _feeling about _anything_."

"A nice, hot oil bath comes to mind." C-3PO replied.

Riku only rolled his eyes as Bib Fortuna led him and his droid companions down a stairwell that led into the throne room of Jabba's palace.

Jabba's throne room was a dim, noisy chamber that was filled to capacity with many foul-looking creatures, most of which seemed to be under the influence of some type of drug or another. Jabba the Hutt sat upon an expansive dais at the far end of the chamber, smoking leisurely from a hookah pipe—a water pipe used for the inhalation of various intoxicants.

Jabba, as a Hutt, was one of the most repulsive creatures in the galaxy to look upon. He resembled nothing so much as a giant slug, with a bulbous head and an enormous, gaping mouth. His immense girth consisted mostly of a thick, tapering tail. A few inches below Jabba's wide mouth, a pair of short, stubby arms grew from his sides—one of these arms was holding the hookah pipe up to Jabba's mouth.

Sitting on the dais directly in front of Jabba was Salacious B. Crumb, a Kowakian monkey-lizard with beady yellow eyes, reddish brown fur, and long, pointed ears. A little further to Jabba's right, also seated upon the dais, was a girl named Oola: a young, nubile female Twi'lek with green skin and a pair of long _lekku_ growing from the back of her head. Jabba was holding a long metal chain attached to a thick collar around Oola's neck.

Riku examined these surroundings with utter disgust, his eyes darting back and forth among the various rogues and miscreants gathered in the chamber. However, it was one of the most subtle features of the room that really grabbed Riku's attention.

In the center of the room was a massive grate, making up a good portion of the floor. Riku couldn't get a good look at what was _underneath _the grate, but he was careful not to tread upon it as Bib Fortuna led him and the droids before Jabba the Hutt.

R2-D2 let out a nervous tootle as Bib Fortuna approached the Hutt, whispering into what Riku assumed was his ear. Riku couldn't understand the conversation, but he wasn't fond of Bib's tone of voice. Riku turned to R2-D2 and whispered, "You'd better play that message now, Artoo."

Jabba grunted in impatience as R2-D2 swiveled his domed head, aiming his holographic projector into the air just behind him. Soon, a shimmering hologram of Luke Skywalker, dressed in a crisp black uniform, appeared in the center of the room. The hologram stood at an impressive three meters tall, and was tinted a light blue color; because of the way R2-D2 had positioned himself, the hologram seemed to be facing Jabba. Riku crossed his arms and stared hard at Jabba, hoping to read his reaction to the message as it began to progress.

"_Greetings, Exalted One._" the hologram said in a calm, clear voice—Luke had made sure that he would sound as businesslike as possible when this hologram would be played before Jabba. The Hutt looked upon the hologram with interest as it continued, "_Allow me to introduce myself. I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and friend to Captain Solo_. _I know that you are powerful, mighty Jabba, and that your anger with Solo must be equally powerful. I seek an audience with Your Greatness to bargain for Solo's life._"

Jabba laughed heartily at the idea, and many of his courtiers laughed along with him. Obviously, he had no intention of bargaining. However, he and his numerous lackeys quieted down as the hologram continued to play:

"_With your wisdom, I'm sure that we can work out an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial and enable us to avoid any unpleasant confrontation. As a token of my goodwill, I present to you a gift: these two droids._"

"What did he say?" C-3PO gasped. When had _this_ arrangement been made? No one had consulted _him_ about it!

Riku had to force himself not to smirk. He and R2-D2 had already known about this part of the plan, but C-3PO had been kept in the dark; the golden protocol droid would have _strongly_ protested the idea, and his ignorance had been a key part of his cooperation thus far. But now that the secret was out, Riku hoped C-3PO would just be able to _not panic_.

"_Both are hardworking,_" Luke's hologram went on, "_and will serve you well. Accompanying them is their caretaker, Riku, whose exceptional skills as a warrior will make him a powerful addition to your court._"

"This can't be!" C-3PO exclaimed as Luke's hologram flickered out of existence. "Artoo, you're playing the wrong message!"

Riku leaned in close to C-3PO and whispered harshly, "Shut up!"

No one seemed to hear the whisper, as the entire court was busy laughing. In particular, Salacious Crumb (who happened to be the court jester of Jabba's palace) was emitting a shrill cackling sound louder than the laughter of any other being.

As the laughter began to die down, Bib Fortuna took the opportunity to whisper into Jabba's ear again. "Master, bargonay tua knight?" he hissed. "He's no Jedi!"

Jabba the Hutt gave his answer in Huttese. When translated, his statement was, "There will be no bargain."

"We're doomed." C-3PO said simply, as though resigned to the idea.

Jabba the Hutt continued to speak (in Huttese, as always): "I will not give up my favorite decoration. I like Captain Solo where he is."

With a short, flabby arm, Jabba gestured toward the eastern wall of the chamber. "Artoo, Riku, _look_—_Captain Solo! _And he's still frozen in carbonite!"

And indeed he was. On the wall, mounted like a trophy, was the carbonite slab that still imprisoned Han Solo. The slab was still a pitiful sight to look upon, with some of Han's features protruding from the slab, all contorted into an expression of utter anguish. Riku had not been there when Han had been frozen, and thus had never seen the slab before; he now felt all the horror that his friends had in that Cloud City carbon-freezing chamber six months ago.

The entire throne room was filled with the sound of wicked laughter once again. Bib Fortuna gestured toward a pair of Gamorrean guards standing not too far away. Then, before anyone knew what happened, Riku, C-3PO, and R2-D2 found themselves being forcefully escorted out of the throne room.

* * *

The trio was soon led down a long, dark corridor lined on wither side with holding cells. Within each cell, some sort of creature was imprisoned; the prisoners' cries echoed throughout the corridor as the three companions passed by. Even Riku had to admit that Jabba's palace was an unsettling place, but C-3PO seemed downright _terrified_.

"What could possibly have come over Master Luke?" C-3PO whispered, mostly to himself, as he ambled down the hallway. "Was it something I did? He never expressed any _unhappiness_ with my work—_oh_! Oh, how horrid!"

C-3PO's exclamation had been prompted by the sight of a particularly hideous creature in one of the holding cells. As C-3PO backed away from the creature in disgust, he failed to pay attention to where he was going; soon, he found himself backed against the door of another holding cell. The creature inside reached a slimy tentacle through the bars of the door in order to grab C-3PO, inducing another cry of alarm from the golden protocol droid.

Riku, who stood just behind C-3PO, reached out and removed him from the creature's slimy grasp. "Would you just _calm down_, Threepio?" Riku whispered.

"Well, _you_ might be all right with the idea," C-3PO contended, "but I for one am still quite shocked that Master Luke would sell us all out like this!"

Riku groaned in exasperation, then looked down at R2-D2. "How do you put up with this guy?"

R2-D2 whistled and shook his domed head.

The trio soon arrived at a thick, metal door at the end of the passage. The door raised up to reveal a large room, filled with smoke and steam—what Jabba referred to as Cyborg Operations. It was within this room that Jabba "broke in" his newly acquired droids, using all manner of torture to erase the droids' programming and personality algorithms before they were assigned to whatever services Jabba might require of them.

As Riku looked around the room, he immediately spotted one of these torture mechanisms just to the right of the door. A tall, spindly 8D8 droid was operating a rotating mechanical vise; within this vise, a box-shaped power droid was kicking with its two blocky feet. The vise moved until the power droid was upside down, then the 8D8 moved a lever that lowered two glowing red branding irons onto the power droid's feet. Riku winced as the power droid let out an agonized wail.

Beyond the rotating vise was a vertical torture rack, which housed yet another unfortunate victim of Jabba's torture. A skinny humanoid droid was secured to the rack by its hands and feet. The rack was pumping up and down, slowly ripping the droid's limbs apart.

Near the torture rack was another spindly humanoid droid working at an old, beaten-up computer console; unlike the others, this droid was not being tortured. This droid was EV-9D9, the overseer of Cyborg Operations. EV-9D9 was responsible for the torture of newly acquired droids, and she went about her task with ardor. She had even upgraded herself with a pain simulator and a third eye, located right next to her left photoreceptor, in order to "see" the droid equivalent of pain.

EV-9D9 had indeed been created with feminine programming, but it was difficult to tell by listening to her crisp, robotic voice. "Ah, good." she said as Riku, C-3PO, and R2-D2 approached. "New acquisitions." Without missing a beat, she turned to C-3PO and asked, "You are a protocol droid, are you not?"

C-3PO, as always, was very glad to introduce himself. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg—"

"Yes or no will do." EV-9D9 cut him off.

Riku had to hide a smirk as C-3PO replied meekly, "Oh… well, yes."

EV-9D9 hardly acknowledged C-3PO's answer befpre moving on to her next question. "How many languages do you speak?"

C-3PO perked up once again. "I am fluent in over six million forms of communication and can readily—"

"Splendid." EV-9D9 cut him off yet again. "We have been without an interpreter since our master got angry with our last protocol droid and disintegrated him."

"_Disintegrated_?" C-3PO repeated, looking back in the direction of the droid torture rack. The droid attached to the rack had now lost its right leg, and screamed its anguish as its right arm suddenly popped off in a shower of sparks. C-3PO and R2-D2 were both taken aback at the gruesome sight, and even Riku gave a small shudder. It seemed that Jabba, among his other innumerable vices, was also a sadist.

"Guard," EV-9D9 addressed one of the Gamorreans that had escorted the trio into the room, "this protocol droid might be useful. Fit him with a restraining bolt and take him back up to His Excellency's main audience chamber."

The Gamorrean immediately took hold of C-3PO's arms and began to forcefully shove him out of the room. "Artoo!" C-3PO wailed. "Riku! _Don't leave me_!"

Riku sighed and shook his head, but knew that he could do nothing that might blow his cover too early.

R2-D2 was not hindered by this restraint, and immediately aimed a series of angry beeps and whistles at EV-9D9. "You're a feisty little one," EV-9D9 observed, "but you'll soon learn some respect. I have need for you on the master's sail barge, and I think you'll _fill in_ nicely."

Near the entrance to the Cyborg Operations chamber, the 8D8 droid once again lowered the branding irons onto the tortured power droid's feet. As the power droid howled in pain once more, both Riku and R2-D2 had the sinking feeling that this was the droid R2-D2 would be _filling in_ for.

EV-9D9 signaled to another Gamorrean guard, who quickly proceeded to escort R2-D2 away. Riku listened as the poor little astromech droid beeped and tootled in fright, but still he could do nothing—EV-9D9 was now looking at him.

"You are not a droid." EV-9D9 stated, looking Riku over with her three beady, yellow eyes. "What business do you have in Cyborg Operations?"

"Jabba sent me down here." Riku answered, truthfully enough. "I'm the one who brought the droids."

"Then you are no longer needed here." EV-9D9 told him. "You may report back to the master's main audience chamber. He will see to you then."

"Thank you." Riku replied cordially before spinning about and walking out of the chamber the way he'd come in. He did not receive a Gamorrean escort, nor did he need one.

He was sure he could locate Jabba just by following his stench.

* * *

**A/N: And there you go. It's a bit short, but it was the best place I could find to end the chapter.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! The last chapter got an amazing, record-breaking (for me) EIGHTEEN reviews. Of course, one person reviewed three times, but I'm not going to complain. That still means I got a review from sixteen different people, which still shatters my previous record. Thank you all for your feedback. It means a lot.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	17. Attempted Rescue

**A/N: I'M BACK, BABY! Sorry it took me almost a month, but I've had problems of every shape and size. Plus, this chapter was pretty hard to write for me. Maybe it shows, maybe not. You decide. But I've kept you waiting for long enough, so here it is: Chapter 17!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Attempted Rescue**

Anywhere else in the galaxy, a crime lord would have been frightened by Luke Skywalker's message. A not-so-veiled _threat_ from someone who claimed to be a Jedi would most likely have made a crime lord examine his position more thoroughly: he might consider negotiation, or just surrender outright. Others might even have fled the planet. Depending on what kind of crime lord he was, he might just soil himself.

But that wasn't the case with Jabba the Hutt.

Jabba the Hutt was _partying_.

Riku was now standing in Jabba the Hutt's throne room, as instructed by EV-9D9. C-3PO was also in the throne room, fitted with a restraining bolt that would prevent him from doing anything against Jabba's wishes. Right now, C-3PO was standing against a wall, trying to avoid getting caught in the middle of the festivities.

Jabba had no real misgivings about making Riku a member of his court. The Hutt was confident that, should he prove traitorous, a lone man was no match for the legions of guards in his employ; if Riku _did_ prove loyal, on the other hand, then it was just more security for when the so-called Jedi came to call. For the moment, Riku was standing near C-3PO, observing the scene in the throne room with what he hoped was a stony expression upon his countenance.

Jabba the Hutt was indeed hosting a party, something that seemed to happen often in his palace. It was definitely the most provocative sight Riku had ever beheld, filled with scantily clad females of many humanoid species dancing erotically to the music provided by the Max Rebo Band, which was composed of several bizarre and rather grubby-looking creatures. In the middle of the throne room, the Twi'lek Oola (still chained by the neck to Jabba's leash) danced alongside a large, fleshy slave called Yarna d'al Gargan. Jabba and many of his courtiers lounged about, ogling the slave dancers and enjoying a variety of illegal intoxicants.

Bib Fortuna, as Riku observed, was not present for the festivities—Jabba had instructed him to make sure Luke Skywalker never set foot inside the palace. Jabba the Hutt had taken one other, far more extreme precaution against any Jedi intruders by inviting one particularly intimidating guest to his party: Boba Fett.

Riku had heard a lot about Boba over the past six months: his fearsome Mandalorian armor, his impressive arsenal of lethal weapons, and his reputation for _always_ getting the job done. Riku was not intimidated by Boba Fett, but he was forced to admit that the bounty hunter _did_ look dangerous in that armor, with a modified EE-3 carbine blaster rifle in his hands. Boba stood not far from where the frozen form of Han Solo was displayed on the wall. The bounty hunter surveyed the partygoers warily, always on the lookout for anything _out of place_. Riku and C-3PO were sure to keep their distance from him.

At last, the song the Max Rebo Band had been playing now drew to a close. Applause filled the room as the performers took a bow; Jabba, excited by Oola's particularly energetic dance maneuvers, called out to her in Huttese, "Ah! Do that again!"

One of the Max Rebo Band's lead singers—a chubby, fuzzy Yuzzum under the stage name of Joh Yowza—misinterpreted this demand as a cry for an encore. "Koo nee tang!" he shouted in Huttese, and the band began to strike up the tune again. Joh Yowza, deciding that a song more "appropriate" for the occasion should be played, instantly cut the music off . "Na' na' na'… ah, _lawah_. _Koo nee tang_!"

The band seemed to understand, and instantly began to play a much louder, livelier song. It was the Max Rebo Band's own variation of a popular song entitled "Jedi Rocks," which seemed fitting for the impending arrival of Luke Skywalker. However, as C-3PO explained to Riku, the singers were belting out improvised lyrics that would have been banned by the Empire faster than you could say, "Jabba the Hutt."

Riku was suddenly glad that he didn't understand a single word of Huttese.

As the song played, Oola and Yarna d'al Gargan continued to dance in an increasingly captivating manner. Oola in particular, her spirits high in hopes that the Jedi might finally free her from her slavery, poured her very heart and soul into what she knew would be her last dance for Jabba.

Jabba was only aroused further by Oola's display. After a moment, he beckoned to her in Huttese, commanding her to approach him. Oola, catching sight of the lustful gleam in Jabba's bulbous eyes, ceased her dancing and began to back away. Jabba pulled hard on Oola's leash, shouting at the young Twi'lek in an attempt to draw her close to him, but Oola pulled back and crieded out in protest. Jabba and Oola continued their struggle with the leash in a horrific game of tug-of-war, though the majority of the partygoers either did not notice or, more likely, did not care.

At least until Jabba lost his patience.

When the Hutt at last grew tired of Oola's adamant refusal to obey him, he slammed his pudgy fist down upon a button located nearby. A trapdoor, perfectly concealed upon the dirty floor of the throne room, swung open directly below Oola's feet. The music stopped and everyone in the throne room looked on as the young Twi'lek fell through the trapdoor, screaming all the while. Jabba's many courtiers and guests hurried to peer through the large metal grate on the floor; Riku soon pushed his way through the gathering throng, hoping to see just what was so interesting to these people.

Through the grate, Riku could see that the trapdoor had deposited Oola into an enormous pit just beneath the throne room. Within the pit, only a few yards from where Oola lay sprawled upon the ground, was a massive door made of rusted metal. As Oola picked herself up and looked around, the door slowly began to creak open. The growl of what Riku imagined to be a vicious beast could be heard from within, and the expression on Oola's face made it clear that this had indeed been her last dance for Jabba. Just not in the way she'd hoped.

Not wishing to see more, Riku slowly turned his head and pushed his way through the growing crowd of Jabba's party guests. One he was clear of the grating and those gathered round it, Riku heaved a weary sigh. He hoped his friends would initiate the next phase of the plan _quickly_; he didn't know how much longer he could bear it in this wretched place.

Suddenly, as if in answer to Riku's silent plea, a shot from a blaster rang out from the stairway leading into the throne room. One of the thugs in Jabba's employ rushed to investigate the source of the blaster shot, but a hand reached out from the shadows and pushed the thug down the stairs, where he landed in an unconscious heap.

A moment later, two figures emerged from the shadowy stairwell and approached Jabba's dais. The first was obviously a bounty hunter, clad in many layers of light brown survival clothing. Upon the bounty hunter's head was an optically-enhanced helmet, complete with a speech scrambler in order to disguise the voice. Though no part of the bounty hunter's body was visible, Jabba recognized this bounty hunter by his armor as an Ubese named Boushh, whose reputation was well-known throughout the galaxy.

In Boushh's right hand was a leash, attached to a collar around the neck of a Wookiee, who appeared quite dazed. But it was not just _any_ Wookiee in Boushh's grasp.

It was _Chewbacca_.

"I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee." Boushh stated in the language of the Ubese, his voice sounding scratchy and monotonous through his helmet's speech scrambler.

"Oh no, _Chewbacca_!" C-3PO exclaimed, taking notice of his captured friend.

Riku had to hide his smirk. Boushh's timely appearance was in fact Phase Two of the plan to rescue Han Solo; the Rebel Alliance had intentionally neglected to inform C-3PO of this part of the plan, like many other parts, lest the golden protocol droid prove unable to keep his mouth shut. C-3PO was a perfect actor when he had no idea of what was really going on.

Jabba the Hutt could not speak Ubese, but he understood well enough why the bounty hunter was here. As Chewbacca let out a low growl, Jabba began to speak in his own language of Huttese. "At last, we have the mighty Chewbacca."

Once he was finished, Jabba called C-3PO forth in order to serve his purpose as an interpreter. The restraining bolt C-3PO had been outfitted with forced him to obey Jabba's command, and he soon made his way to the Hutt's side. "Yes, uhh… I am here, Your Worshipfulness." Once C-3PO was in position, he turned to Jabba and asked, "Uhh… yes?"

Jabba the Hutt began to address Boushh in Huttese. Riku was glad that C-3PO was there to translate—he'd have hated to miss this phase of the plan due to a language barrier.

When Jabba finished speaking, C-3PO interpreted, "The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand."

Boushh spat out his answer in Ubese. C-3PO turned to Jabba and translated, "Fifty thousand. No less."

Jabba was apparently outraged by this lofty price. He threw out his flabby arms, one of which managed to catch C-3PO in the chest. C-3PO cried out in surprise as he was sent clattering to the floor. Boba Fett, taking notice of the potential conflict, began to move closer to Jabba's dais. Riku took notice of this, and he too made his way toward the Hutt.

Jabba shouted in Huttese for a moment as C-3PO righted himself—once he was finished, the protocol droid asked, "What? _What did I say_?"

Jabba issued one more shout in Huttese, which C-3PO was quick to interpret. "The mighty Jabba asks _why_ he must pay fifty thousand."

With his left hand, Boushh reached into an ammunition pocket and removed from it a small, round, silver object. Boushh flicked a switch on this object with his thumb, and a light began to flash. Boushh issued an angry statement in Ubese; C-3PO, in a panic, translated the statement as, "Because he's holding a thermal detonator!"

Boba Fett whipped out his EE-3 carbine blaster rifle faster than the eye could follow. Riku positioned his right hand, ready to summon his keyblade at a millisecond's notice, just in case Fett tried something _stupid_. The control pins of Boushh's thermal detonator had been rigged to a deadman's switch—if Boushh's thumb left that trigger at any time, the whole throne room would be reduced to naught but ash and smoke.

Nearly everyone else in the throne room dove for some sort of cover, and for a moment, there was no sound in the throne room but the horrified mutterings of Jabba's courtiers and guests. But through it all, Jabba the Hutt did little more than _blink_.

Once the murmurs of the crowd began to dwindle into horrified silence, Jabba the Hutt threw his enormous head back and began to laugh—a deep, hearty sound, recognizable by anyone who'd ever heard the Hutt laugh before. "_Ho ho ho ho ho ho! Ah ha ha ha ha_!"

Riku raised a brow, wondering what was so funny about a bounty hunter ready to blow himself and everyone else sky high for a little extra cash; though C-3PO did not interpret Jabba's response, Riku was sure he got the gist of it: "This bounty hunter is my kind of scum… fearless and inventive."

As Jabba went on speaking in Huttese, Boba Fett slowly lowered his blaster rifle, realizing that Jabba was still in control of the situation. Only once Boba Fett's blaster was safely put away did Riku dare to lower his own arm, thinking all the while, _That was too close_.

When Jabba finished speaking, C-3PO finally calmed down enough to translate for him. "Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five." Hoping to dissuade Boushh from further violence, the protocol droid added, "and I _do_ suggest you take it."

Boushh muttered something in Ubese before finally deactivating the thermal detonator and placing it back in his pocket. "He agrees!" C-3PO exclaimed with much relief.

Riku had to smile and shake his head, even as Chewbacca was led away by a pair of nasty-looking Gamorreans. Everything was proceeding as the Rebels had planned, and C-3PO was still just as clueless as ever.

As the Max Rebo Band struck up a new song and the party resumed, Riku decided that he might be able to last in Jabba's palace for at least a little longer.

* * *

Night fell swiftly upon Tatooine, and Jabba's palace was filled with darkness. The party was over and many of Jabba's guests had gone home—those that remained were passed out upon the floor, overpowered by the vast quantities of drugs and intoxicants they had consumed that day. The Hutt himself had left the room some time ago, taking C-3PO and most of his guards with him. Jabba's throne room was as quiet as a tomb, with only the occasional snoring of a party guest to break the silence.

To Riku, the silence and the darkness were comforting.

Riku was the only waking creature in the throne room, having been one of _very_ few creatures not to have consumed any sort of intoxicant that day (despite numerous offers by a variety of beings). He needed to keep his mind at its sharpest, and the disreputable sight of Jabba's party guests was enough to prevent Riku from considering the offers at all.

Currently, Riku was sitting in a corner of Jabba's dark throne room, trying to collect his thoughts. Another crucial step of the plan was about to take place, he knew, and he awaited it with eager anticipation. He was ready to get out of Jabba's filthy lair, and his time there was nearly done…

If only a certain someone would care to _show up_.

Suddenly, Riku heard faint footsteps moving down the stairway at the throne room's entrance. Riku cautiously rose to his feet, being careful not to make a sound that might disturb the slumbering revelers in the room. _It's about time_, he thought as he saw the source of the noise.

It was Boushh.

Boushh immediately caught sight of Riku, and beckoned for the silver-haired Keybearer to follow him. Riku had to step over one or two of Jabba's drunken guests in order to join Boushh in the middle of the room, but once he did, their path was unobstructed as they made their way to the small alcove where Han Solo's frozen form was mounted.

Boushh approached a control panel only a few inches from where the carbonite slab containing Han was mounted. With the press of a button, the slab slowly sank to the floor, landing with a soft _thud._ Then, the slab tipped backward, creating a loud _clang_ as it slammed against the wall.

Riku had been standing nearby, examining a large curtain that ran along the wall to the right of the carbonite slab. His investigations were cut short, however, by the loud crash of the slab against the wall. Riku and Boushh both looked around, hoping that the noise had gone unnoticed; fortunately, Jabba's guests were far too drunk to be awakened by any noise, no matter the volume. Riku shot Boushh a warning glance, but whether the bounty hunter acknowledged the look or not was difficult to tell beneath his helmet.

Once both Riku and Boushh were sure that none of Jabba's guests had awakened, Boushh proceeded to approach the large carbonite slab, which now leaned upright against the wall. The bounty hunter began operating buttons and switches set into the side of the slab, then stepped back as Han Solo began to thaw.

The slab emitted a low, continuous hum as it began to heat up. Riku was concerned that someone might hear this humming, but as he looked about, he could see that none of Jabba's guests stirred. These drunken aliens could sleep through _anything_!

The carbonite continued to warm up, growing hotter and hotter, until the contours of Han Solo's body jutting from the slab began to glow bright red. And then, slowly but surely, the carbonite encasing Han's body began to melt. After only a few seconds, Captain Han Solo was completely free, able to breathe fresh air for the first time in six months. His skin and clothes were damp and his features were haggard, but that was to be expected after having spent six months trapped in his carbonite prison.

Han Solo pitched forward and fell hard onto the floor, leaving a man-shaped indent in what was left of the carbonite slab. He was still in hibernation, but Riku could see that he was beginning to awaken. Boushh knelt down beside him and helped him to sit upright, but Han's body shook violently as he began to regain consciousness.

As Han's body trembled, Boushh began to address him. "Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbonite." he said, speaking in the language that Riku knew as English (those in this galaxy called it Galactic Basic Standard).

Han Solo gasped and struggled to open his eyes; finding it difficult, he eventually was forced to push his eyes open with his hands. "_Shhh_," Boushh told Han, "you have hibernation sickness."

Han did not look at Boushh or Riku—his eyes were dilated, and seemed to be staring into empty space. "I can't see."

This time, Riku decided it was his turn to speak, if for no other reason than to make his presence known to the blind and confused Han Solo. "Your sight'll come back to you eventually. Just give it some time."

Han Solo paused for a moment, apparently searching his memory for the owner of the voice. When the recollection came to him, he blurted out, "_Riku_?"

Riku nodded, though he knew Han couldn't see it. "Yeah, it's me."

"Where am I?" Han asked, his panic reflecting in his voice; it was rather unnerving to awaken blind and helpless in a strange environment.

Boushh was the one to answer him. "Jabba's palace."

Han reached out in hopes of touching—and therefore being able to recognize—the face of the one who held him upright. When his hand met the cold metal of Boushh's helmet, he questioned, "Who are _you_?"

The bounty hunter quickly removed his helmet, revealing not the face of Boushh, but rather something completely different:

Princess Leia Organa.

Indeed, the Ubese bounty hunter named Boushh had been dead for quite some time. Princess Leia had gone to great lengths to obtain Boushh's armor, and when she donned it, her ruse was practically seamless (for she could speak Ubese quite well, and the armor fit perfectly upon her slender frame). The disguise had been ideal for infiltrating Jabba's palace, and for initiating the all-important Phase Two of the plan to rescue Han Solo.

And so it was that Leia found herself here, kneeling beside Han Solo in Jabba's dark throne room, wearing the armor of a deceased bounty hunter. In response to Han's question concerning her identity, Leia told him sweetly in her own voice, "Someone who loves you."

"_Leia_!" Han exclaimed, but that was all he had time to say before she captured him in a passionate kiss. Riku shrugged and stepped back a few paces, giving the couple a bit of space—after all, Han and Leia had a lot to catch up on after six months. _Still_, Riku found himself thinking, _this almost makes me feel like I'm working with Sora and Kairi_. _Can't get through the mission without a kissing break every so often_.

After a moment, when Leia remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be doing, she broke away from Han and told him, "I gotta get you outta here."

Riku and Leia helped Han to stand, though Han's weakened state forced him to lean on their shoulders for support. As soon as Han was on his feet, however, the three companions heard a deep, hearty, _familiar_ chuckle. "_Ho ho ho ho ho_!"

"What's that?" Han demanded, vainly attempting to look about for the source of the laughter. "I know that laugh…"

"So do I." Riku hissed, turning his head to look in the direction of the laughter. The very curtain Riku had been examining a few moments ago now drew back, revealing the still-chuckling Jabba the Hutt. Gathered around Jabba were several of his minions, Bib Fortuna and the reluctant C-3PO among them; one of Jabba's cronies had placed his hand over C-3PO's mouth, preventing him from issuing any sort of warning to his friends.

Riku mentally slapped himself for having neglected to examine that curtain more closely.

Another curtain parted on the opposite wall, revealing Boba Fett and several of Jabba's guards as they stepped into the room. Riku moved away from Han in order to keep an eye on the guards; to compensate, Leia hugged Han as close to her body as she could manage.

Once Jabba's laughter had subsided and his men had moved into position, Jabba began to speak. He did not get far, however, before Han cut him off. "Hey, Jabba…" When the Hutt did not acknowledge him, Han reiterated, "_Look_, Jabba: I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault—"

Now, it was Jabba's turn to cut Han off. "It's too late for that, Solo." he stated in Huttese. "You may have been a good smuggler… but now you're bantha fodder! _Ho ho ho ho ho_!"

This prompted a good deal of laughter from the stooges gathered around Jabba. As usual, Salacious Crumb (now nestled in the folds of Jabba's fleshy tail) could be hard above all others in the room.

Han knew Jabba wasn't going to let him off the hook easily, but perhaps there was still a way to bail himself out. "_Look_…"

"Take him away!" Jabba interjected. "And take the silver-haired spy with him."

"Jabba," Han entreated, even as he and Riku were shoved aside, "I'll pay you triple! You're throwing away a fortune here—don't be a fool!"

Though Han struggled with all his might as the guards hauled him off, Riku was comparatively calm. This turn of events was unfortunate, but not unexpected. This sort of thing was what Phase Three of the plan was for.

As Han and Riku were led away, a pair of guards seized Leia by the arms. Jabba looked over Leia once, then told his guards, "Bring her to me."

The guards wordlessly obeyed, forcing Leia forward until her body was nearly pressed against the Hutt's. Guessing Jabba's intent, Leia warned, "We have… _powerful friends_. You're gonna regret this."

There was an amorous glint in Jabba's eye as he replied, "I'm sure." His tongue lolled out of his gaping mouth and slowly brushed against Leia's face, prompting a disgusted grunt from the princess.

C-3PO looked on in horror. He knew _exactly_ what was going to happen now. He'd heard stories about what Jabba liked to do with his female prisoners, and it was too much for the golden protocol droid to see the same things about to happen to Leia. "Oh, I can't bear to watch!"

Jabba chuckled in satisfaction. Princess Leia had an excellent flavor, no doubts there, but the Hutt was disgusted with the shabby bounty hunter armor she wore. To rectify the problem, Jabba quickly instructed Bib Fortuna to fetch something more _becoming_ for a fine lady such as this…

* * *

The hours passed quickly in Jabba's palace, and soon dawn broke over the deserts of Tatooine. The planet's twin suns were just beginning to rise, and the cold nocturnal temperatures were just beginning to progress into the blistering heat of the day.

Just outside the entrance to the main citadel of Jabba's palace, two figures walked side by side among the dunes. As they approached the great metal door of the fortress, they began to speak to each other. "You sure you're up for this, Sora?" asked the first. "It's not too late to turn back, you know."

"I told you, Luke, my back's fine." replied the second. "You can stop asking now."

Indeed, the two figures approaching Jabba's palace were none other than Luke Skywalker and Sora Hikari. Sora was dressed in his usual adventuring outfit, but Luke had attired himself to better acknowledge his status as a budding Jedi. The young Skywalker was garbed in a black tunic, trousers, and boots, all beneath a hooded black cloak. This apparel did indeed make Luke seem dark and mysterious, a stark contrast to Sora's more colorful, flamboyant appearance. This evidenced a much more subtle difference between the Jedi and the Keybearers: while Jedi dressed for the purpose of blending into their environments and remaining anonymous, Keybearers had a tendency to stand out in a crowd.

Sora's spine had indeed healed much over the past six months. What had once been a crippling injury was now reduced to a slight tingle in his back whenever he bent over, but Sora didn't worry too much about that. After all, how much bending would he really be doing during what he considered to be a routine rescue mission?

The rescue of Han Solo would, in fact, be the first real bit of exercise Sora had gotten since his duel with Vader in the underbelly of Cloud City. He'd been eager to see some action again, and had even managed to resist Kairi's fervent pleas not to put himself in danger so quickly after recovering. He'd won her over with a kiss and a promise (as he often did before rushing headlong into a mission), assuring her that there was _no way_ Jabba the Hutt could be as bad as Darth Vader.

And now here Sora was, standing beside Luke Skywalker at the entrance to Jabba's palace, hoping he'd have better luck here than he'd had in Cloud City.

Surprisingly, Luke and Sora were not interrogated by Jabba's security droid when they at last reached the entrance to his fortress. The massive door began to rise automatically as they approached, and they were forced to pause only briefly before the door was high enough to pass under. They proceeded carefully and quietly through the entrance hall, in hopes that most of Jabba's guards were asleep at this early hour.

They did not have such luck; when they were about halfway through the entrance hall, Sora and Luke were intercepted by a pair of Jabba's Gamorrean guards. Sora looked to Luke, who nodded and gestured toward each guard in turn. The Gamorreans staggered backward and clutched at their throats, struggling in vain as their windpipes constricted of their own accord.

Sora couldn't help but smile as he told Luke, "Showoff."

Luke had just enough time to return the smile before yet another of Jabba's security enforcers—this time, it was the Hutt's majordomo, Bib Fortuna. "Yo macka chipowan Skywalker bo Sora! Jabba mo batawa tu!"

"We have to talk to Jabba." Sora replied. He didn't really know what Bib was saying, but it didn't sound very inviting.

"Ee toe seet!" Bib hissed, casting a wary glance behind him. "Jabba no tusen di hunka bi! _No bargain_!"

Now, it was Luke's turn to speak to the majordomo. He looked firmly into Bib Fortuna's eyes and told him with a wave of his hand, "You will take us to Jabba _now_."

Bib paused briefly, as though considering the idea, before he answered, "Ataka bu Jabba _now_." And with that, Bib began leading Luke and Sora down the hall.

"You serve your master well." Luke told Bib as he led them into Jabba's main audience chamber.

"Ay sota vanlocha." Bib repeated in Huttese.

"And you will be rewarded." Luke continued.

"A chunoh ayo ahtot." Bib agreed.

As they neared Jabba's throne room, Sora found himself holding back a chuckle. He didn't know how Luke could keep a straight face when using Jedi mind tricks like that. They were a lot of fun to watch.

However, Sora's urge to laugh quickly died down once he and Luke stepped into Jabba's throne room.

After casting Han and Riku into his dungeon, Jabba had decided to throw yet _another_ party in order to celebrate. More exotic drugs and alcoholic beverages had been consumed, and nearly all of Jabba's guests were either passed out or suffering from a massive hangover. C-3PO stood to Jabba's immediate right, facing away from the disgraceful sight of the revelers.

Princess Leia lay on her side, slumped next to Jabba's bulbous, snoozing form. She had become Jabba's newest slave dancer, and had been forced to wear what looked like a glorified metal bikini. She was humiliated to be wearing such a revealing ensemble in front of Jabba's court (Salacious Crumb was enjoying a particularly advantageous view of her thighs), but was even more concerned about when Jabba would make her start _dancing_. Jabba currently held a chain attached to an iron collar fixed about her neck, and she shuddered at the feeling of Jabba's repulsive flesh against her bare skin. She sat up when she recognized Luke and Sora standing in the middle of the throne room, but she didn't feel any better. She knew that her friends shouldn't have had to see her looking like _that_.

Much to Leia's relief, neither Sora nor Luke seemed to take much note of her state of dress; their eyes were mostly fixed on Jabba. As Bib Fortuna moved to awaken the Hutt, C-3PO took notice of what was going on and turned around to get a better look. When he saw his friends standing before Jabba, the golden protocol droid exclaimed, "At last! Sora and Master Luke have come to rescue me!"

Bib Fortuna approached Jabba and lightly tapped his head. "_Master_." he said excitedly.

Jabba jolted awake with a mighty snort, which awoke some of the other courtiers in the room. Once Jabba regained his bearings, Bib continued, "Gabba nopez _Luke Skywalker_, Jedi Knight." Bib was not familiar with Sora, and so did not announce him, but Jabba understood just the same.

"I told you not to admit them!" Jabba bellowed in Huttese.

"We must be allowed to speak." Luke insisted.

Bib leaned close to Jabba and echoed in Huttese, "They must be allowed to speak."

Bib Fortuna was close enough to Jabba to be within reach of his stubby arms, allowing the Hutt to seize Bib by the throat and roar, "You weak-minded fool! He's using an old Jedi mind trick!"

Bib yelped as Jabba shoved him to the floor. Luke, seeing his opportunity, flung back the hood of his black cloak and stepped forward. He looked intently into Jabba's eyes and told him, "You will bring Captain Solo, Riku, and the Wookiee to _me_."

Jabba easily met Luke's gaze. "Ho ho ho ho ho!" he chuckled. "Your mind powers will not work on me, boy."

While Luke and Jabba had been talking, Sora had taken notice of a fair number of Gamorrean guards beginning to gather around. He knew that these negotiations had to reach a conclusion _quickly_, one way or another. Sora stepped closer to Jabba and said, "Okay, let's put it this way: you can give our friends back, or we can _take_ them from you. Your call."

Until that moment, C-3PO had been watching the negotiations intently, hoping that Sora and Luke would be able to work _something_ out with Jabba. But now that he recognized exactly where Luke and Sora were, he let out a panicked cry. "Master Luke! You're standing on—"

That was all he could say before Jabba cut him off. "There will be no bargain, young Jedi!" growled the Hutt, his bulging red eyes staring straight at Luke. "I shall enjoy watching you both die. Ho ho ho ho ho!"

While Jabba laughed, the Gamorreans began to close in on Luke and Sora. Luke was quick to react, throwing out his hand and reaching out with the Force. A blaster flew from one of the guards' holsters and into Luke's awaiting palm; Sora followed suit, and with a twitch of his finger, the Oathkeeper was in his hands.

Jabba seemed surprised by this display, but he did not let his shock get the better of him. As one off the Gamorreans attempted to wrest the blaster from Luke's grip, Jabba slammed his fist down upon the button nearby—the same button he'd punched when Oola had angered him the previous day.

Luke had been standing directly on top of Jabba's secret trapdoor, which now swung open beneath him. The guard that had been trying to get at Luke's blaster now teetered at the edge of the trapdoor; it clutched at the hood of Sora's jacket in an attempt to steady itself, but the Gamorrean's immense weight only pulled Sora into the trapdoor along with it.

With Luke, Sora, and one of Jabba's own guards inside the pit, the Hutt's immense dais slid forward, sealing the trapdoor. "Tibi Jedi!" Jabba shouted as everyone gathered around to watch through the large section of grating on the floor. "Tibi Jedi!"

Luke, Sora, and the Gamorrean found themselves standing inside a massive pit. Above, they could se Jabba and his jeering courtiers, all of them shouting and mocking the three doomed figures below.

At the end of the pit opposite where the three prisoners were standing, there was a massive door made of rusted metal. Neither Luke nor Sora had an opportunity to speak before the door began to slide open, revealing something truly terrible inside.

From his position beside Jabba, C-3PO could be heard exclaiming, "Oh no! The rancor!"

The rancor was one of the most revolting monsters Sora had ever laid eyes on (which, once he thought about it, was saying quite a lot). Standing at a hulking five meters tall, the rancor was roughly humanoid in shape—at least it had two legs and two arms. Its legs were thick and rather stubby, with each ending in three toes vaguely like those of a rhinoceros. The rancor's arms were only a little slimmer than the legs, but were a good deal longer. Four fingers like the talons of a bird raked forth from each of the rancor's hands, ideal for grabbing and clawing. The rancor's head was dominated by its gaping jaws, lined with teeth the size of bananas. The beast's nostrils were located in the middle of its forehead, right between its beady, feral eyes. As those eyes moved between the three unfortunate victims in its pen, a single thought occurred to Sora.

"We are _so_ dead."

Sora clutched his keyblade tightly, hoping that it would be enough to get him out of this mess alive. Luke, currently without a weapon, was scanning the area in hopes of finding something to fight with. The unlucky Gamorrean guard was squealing in terror and scratching at the high walls of the pit in a desperate attempt to escape.

The rancor focused on the Gamorrean and let out a horriffic roar—obviously, the beast had chosen the first course of its meal. It reached out and seized the Gamorrean in its long-fingered hand, eliciting louder, more terrified squeals from the doomed guard.

Both Luke and Sora instinctively backed away as the rancor lifted the Gamorrean to its mouth. From above, Jabba and his court whooped and cheered in sadistic delight as the rancor swallowed the Gamorrean whole with a single _crunch_ of its powerful jaws.

That had bought Sora and Luke a little extra time, but not a lot.

Sora gripped the Oathkeeper even more tightly as the rancor turned toward him. "Uhhh… _Luke_?" he murmured. "_Please_ tell me there's a part of the plan that involves what to do if we get attacked by a giant monster."

Luke shook his head. "Nope. We'll just have to wing it."

Sora sighed helplessly. "That's what I thought."

Sora immediately brought his keyblade forth and let loose a Firaga spell. A large ball of flame erupted from the tip of the Oathkeeper and smacked into the rancor's face, but with little effect. The rancor's skin was thick and leathery, and it didn't take long before the beast was on the move again.

Next, Sora tried a Blizzaga spell. An icicle as long and sharp as a spearhead burst forth from the Oathkeeper and imbedded itself into the Rancor's stomach. However, the wound was not deep enough to stop the rancor—it only took the beast a moment to yank the icicle from its body and resume its approach.

By this time, the rancor was nearly upon Sora and Luke. Luke spotted a pile of bones upon the ground (undoubtedly from one of the rancor's earlier victims) and took a femur from the it. He waved the femur about in a semi-threatening manner as the rancor drew nearer.

"A _bone_?" Sora exclaimed upon seeing what Luke was up to. "I'm over here throwing magic at this thing, and all you've got is a _bone_?"

"I'll distract it!" Luke replied. "You circle around back!"

Sora stared at Luke in disbelief for a moment, but there was little time to argue. The Keyblade Master rolled to the side just as the rancor was about to scoop him up in its massive hand. Then Sora ran toward the rear of the creature, hoping to find a good place to attack. No luck—the hide of the creature's back was even thicker than it was at the front.

In the second it had taken Sora to reach its rear, the rancor had seized Luke in its monstrous grip. Sora knew he had only one chance: he had to reach the rancor's head.

Sora leaped onto the rancor's back and struggled to hold on. Luke was almost at the beast's mouth now; the rancor was just about to swallow him whole as it had done with the Gamorrean a moment before. Sora desperately struggled to climb the rest of the way up the rancor's back, but he knew it was probably too late by now…

Just before the beast swallowed him, Luke jammed the femur into the rancor's mouth, preventing it from closing its jaws. The rancor roared in surprise and dropped its intended victim. Luke was safe… for the moment.

This bought Sora all the time he needed. The rancor struggled with the bone for but a moment before snapping it between its teeth, but by the time it was ready to come at Luke again, Sora had nearly reached its head. Sora summoned all the strength he had left to plunge the Oathkeeper into the rancor's neck.

The rancor roared in pain, but the blade in its neck only seemed to make it more frenzied than before. It reared back and shook its body violently in an attempt to throw Sora off, but the Keyblade Master held tightly to the hilt of the Oathkeeper. In the room above, Sora could hear Jabba's courtiers laughing at what must have been the most ridiculous rancor fight they'd ever seen.

Despite all this, Luke didn't miss a beat. "Good job, Sora—just keep that thing busy a little longer. I'll try to find a way out."

"Sure!" Sora called. The rancor was quickly turning this way and that, which made its reluctant rider quite nauseous. "I do this stuff all the _tiiiiime_!"

The rancor was outright spinning in circles now, trying to grab at Sora with its long arms. It very nearly succeeded, too, but the beast simply wasn't flexible enough to reach the Keyblade Master on its back.

Luke looked around, hoping to find some way to escape the rancor pit before the monster finally got a lucky hit on Sora. And then he saw it: beyond the massive iron door that had released the rancor into the pit, at the far end of the cave that housed the beast, was a door. Luke made a break for it, hoping the rancor wouldn't see.

The rancor was much too distracted with Sora—who was currently shouting about how he was going to throw up—to notice Luke sprinting across the pit. Luke made it to the door and managed to open it, but found to his horror that a thick iron gate had been placed just behind the door, barring Luke from the room beyond. On the other side of the gate, a pair of guards used the spears they wielded to try to drive Luke back.

Luke turned around to see that Sora's grip on his keyblade was weakening. He would be thrown off the rancor's back in another moment or two, and then the monster would make an easy meal of him.

Then, Luke took notice of something else: a button, just next to the great metal door separating the pit from the rancor's holding cave. It looked like it _controlled_ the door raising and lowering it to let the rancor in and out.

Luke got another idea.

Luke looked around on the cave floor and soon found a good-sized rock. He took the rock in his hand and shouted, "Sora! You can let go now!"

"Easy for _you_ to say!" Sora yelled back. "But here goes—YAAAAAAH!"

Sora released his hold on the Oathkeeper's hilt and was sent skidding across the floor, landing just inside the holding cave.

Sora crawled back a few feet and watched as the rancor lumbered forward, its eyes fixed on him and Luke. "Well, what _now_?" Sora asked anxiously, taking note of the rock in Luke's hand. "_Great_. First bones, now rocks."

"Wait for it…" Luke cautioned him. And they did. They waited until the rancor was passing underneath the massive door before Luke hurled the rock. It smashed into the button on the wall, and the metal gate slammed down upon the rancor's head.

Luke and Sora both breathed sighs of relief. The Oathkeeper, still lodged in the back of the rancor's neck, disappeared in a flash of light. Sora had no doubt he'd be needing it again soon, but he wanted to appear unarmed to any guards that might show up before then.

No one noticed the Oathkeeper's disappearance—they were all too busy staring at the rancor. Leia, still held tightly by Jabba's leash, managed to smile. Jabba, on the other hand, was roaring in anger, along with most of his courtiers.

The brief moment of relief was gone when the two guards (who had previously tried to jab Luke with spears) now rushed into the holding cave, seizing Sora and Luke and dragging them away. From above, Jabba bellowed, "Bring me Solo and the Wookiee! They will all suffer for this outrage!"

Luke and Sora exchanged glances and reached a silent conclusion.

They had killed the rancor, but the danger was nowhere _near_ over.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it. I once again apologize for the ridiculous amount of time this took, but it happens.**

**A GENTLE REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW! We're looking good so far, and that goal of two hundred reviews seems more achievable every time I update. I would also like to point out that I've seen a couple of new faces on the reiview board lately, and I hope to hear from them again as well. But to readers and reviewers both old and new, it's time for me to say:**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	18. The Pit

**What is this? Can it be? YES! Lor Moldybutt is back in action, and this time, he's here to stay. That bit of time off was all I needed to get back in the game with a full head of steam, and I now promise to resume updating as often as I can. **

**A warning: I might be a tad rusty, so feel free to criticize in a constructive manner.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Pit**

As Jabba's guards led Luke and Sora back up to the throne room, another group of Gamorreans were dragging Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Riku along. The two processions met in the middle of a converging hallway; upon seeing his friends, Luke called out, "Han!"

"Luke!" Han shouted back. He was still blinded by his hibernation sickness, but he recognized Luke's voice well enough.

"I'm here too." Sora added, hoping that Han would recognize him.

Instead, Riku was the one to answer. "Hey, Sora. How's your spine?"

"Honestly?" Sora replied. "It feels like I've got ants crawling up and down my back. That last fight _didn't_ help. But I'm holding up."

Riku shook his head. "You'll live."

"How are _you_ doing, Han?" Luke questioned.

"Fine." Han told him, truthfully enough—he still couldn't see, but his strength was indeed returning to him. As a Gamorrean pushed him forward, he added, "Together again, huh?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Luke replied.

"How we doing?" Han queried.

With a small grin, Luke answered, "Same as always."

"That bad, huh?" Han scoffed. "Where's Leia?"

Princess Leia was, in fact, still by Jabba's side. Her body was firmly pressed against Jabba's repugnant flesh, and the Hutt's grip was so tight upon her leash that she could not move her head to get a better glimpse of the procession of captives. Still, if for no other reason than to alert Han of her presence, she announced as loudly as she could, "I'm here!"

"Be thankful you're still blind." Riku added to Han with a disdainful tone. "You do _not_ wanna see that."

Boba Fett kept his hands firmly on his blaster rifle as the prisoners were brought before Jabba; Fett and Riku stared each other down even as the rest of Jabba's court gathered around. Luke's gaze remained fixed on the Hutt, while Han stared blindly into the space in front of him. Everyone else looked around at the multitude of guards that surrounded them with more than a little discomfort.

As soon as the procession came to a halt, Jabba the Hutt began their trial. Of course, since Jabba found verdicts tedious and boring, he skipped directly to the best part—the _sentence_.

As Jabba spoke to his captives in Huttese, C-3PO listened and prepared to translate. "Oh dear…" he murmured after a moment. "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated… _immediately_."

"Good. I hate long waits." Han Solo quipped.

Salacious crumb let out a nasally cackle, apparently amused by Han's comment, but Jabba took no notice. As the Hutt continued his sentence, C-3PO conveyed, "You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlaac."

"Oh," Sora remarked, "is that all?"

C-3PO's tone grew more anxious as he continued to interpret, "In his belly, you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a… _thousand years_."

"On second thought," Han muttered to Sora, "let's pass on that, huh?"

Chewbacca let out an angry howl, and Sora and Riku glanced nervously at each other. Luke, on the other hand, was still quite calm as he warned, "You should have bargained, Jabba."

Jabba lifted his flabby green hand and issued a command to his guards. Immediately, they fell upon the prisoners and began to haul them out of the audience chamber. "That's the last mistake you'll ever make!" Luke called out, his voice rising in volume but never losing its cool.

"Ho ho ho ho ho!" Jabba laughed. He was still in control, and he certainly wasn't going to back down _now_.

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day out in the western Dune Sea—the region of barren desert that nearly encompassed all of Tatooine. There was nary a cloud in the sky, and a few massive banthas could be seen strolling leisurely across the sand. The twin suns were high in the sky by now, and bathed everything beneath them in their powerful rays.

Three lonely vessels hovered just above the dunes: a massive sail barge flanked by two small, open-topped cargo skiffs. The sail barge, called the _Khetanna_, was Jabba the Hutt's personal luxury pleasure craft. Its more subtle fineries had been stripped away and sold for profit, but it was still a perfect place for a Hutt and a few dozen of his closest friends to relax—especially since Jabba had outfitted it with heavy armor and a few modest defense systems.

The first of the two small skiffs (both of which were also armor-plated) served as an escort to the _Khetanna_, and was manned by some of Jabba's lackeys. The second skiff carried six guards and five prisoners: Luke, Sora, Riku, Han, and Chewbacca.

The five captives stood close together at the front of the craft, directly behind a guard stationed as a lookout on the prow. "Nice." Sora commented as he looked out across the vast, barren landscape. "What this place lacks in water and shade, it makes up for in searing heat and blinding sunshine."

"I think my eyes _are_ gettin' better." Han observed. "Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big _light_ blur."

"There's nothing to see." Luke assured him with a wry smile. "I used to live here, you know."

"You're gonna _die_ here, you know." Han replied. "Convenient."

"Just stay close to Chewie and Lando." Luke advised him. "Sora and Riku, you'll be with me as soon I give the signal."

"We remember." Riku nodded. With a gesture toward the guard in front of him, he said, "No need to say more with these guys listening."

At last, the three vessels reached their destination: the Pit of Carkoon.

The Pit of Carkoon was an immense funnel of sand, leading down to a mucus-lined hole two meters in diameter. Teeth like needles ringed the hole, and massive wormlike tentacles writhed all about. From within the hole, a beaked appendage emerged. However, as the _Khetanna _drew closer, it could be seen that the massive hole was a _mouth_, and that the appendage poking out was a _tongue_.

This was the sarlaac, the beast within the Pit.

The cargo skiff that held the prisoners now hovered only a few dozen feet above the Pit of Carkoon. A plank of rusted metal extended from the side of the skiff, and two spear-wielding guards forced Luke toward it. Before Luke stepped onto the plank, however, there was a pause; Jabba the Hutt first wished to gloat over his most recent conquest.

Jabba the Hutt and most of his court (including C-3PO and the still scantily clad Princess Leia) could be seen from open windows near the front of the _Khetanna_. C-3PO's voice could be heard through a voice-amplifying comlink as he announced, "Victims of the almighty sarlaac, His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably… but should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."

Sora couldn't help but smirk as he looked to Riku and whispered, "He's kidding, right?"

"I hope so," Riku replied, "or he's even dumber than he looks."

Han Solo's eyesight was still very poor, but he still had to squint in Tatooine's bright sunlight as he snarled, "Threepio! You tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden _filth_ he'll get no such pleasure from us!" Less confidently, he added to his friends, "Right?"

Chewbacca answered him with an affirmative growl.

Luke Skywalker remained silent, scanning the edges of the _Khetanna_'s top deck. _Where's Artoo?_ he thought anxiously. _He should be in position by now_…

At last, out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw his little astromech droid approach the railing that encompassed the top deck of the _Khetanna_. Everything was in place now… still, being the merciful Jedi that he was, Luke had to extend one more offer for the Hutt to surrender. "Jabba," he called up to the sail barge, "this is your last chance. Free us or die."

As Jabba took the voice amplifier from C-3PO, the sound of mocking laughter from within the sail barge could be heard over the vessel's loudspeakers. And why shouldn't they laugh? Five prisoners were surely no match for the veritable _army_ Jabba had protecting him. It was nothing short of _hysterical_ to imagine such a puny Jedi and his friends try to escape the dreaded Pit of Carkoon.

At last, when the Hutt and his guests quieted down, Jabba announced in Huttese, "Move him into position!"

Jabba's guards forced Luke to the edge of the cargo skiff's plank. It was tradition to give one final pause to allow the prisoner to look into the pit and cower at the thought of his impending fate; when Luke was given that pause, however, he did none of those things. He glanced up at R2-D2 and gave a nonchalant salute. Although the astromech was too far away to see clearly, Luke knew that R2-D2 was opening a panel in his dome, which contained a very special surprise…

Deprived of the entertainment of watching his prisoner squirm, Jabba's voice was indignant as he bellowed, "Put him in!"

Before any of the guards could touch him, Luke hopped from the plank, spinning around as he did so. He caught the end of the plank by the tips of his fingers and used it as a springboard for a Force-powered leap, somersaulting back onto the skiff. As he did so, R2-D2 ejected his "special surprise" from his dome.

It was Luke's _lightsaber_!

As Luke landed back on the skiff, he reached out with the Force and called the lightsaber to his hand. As soon as the handle hit his palm, the lightsaber's emerald blade erupted from it as Luke ignited his weapon.

That was the signal Sora and Riku had been waiting for. Sharing a knowing glance, they summoned their keyblades to their hands. One of the guards flung off his helmet and tossed it at the skiff pilot, revealing a familiar face underneath:

Lando Calrissian.

Lando Calrissian had managed to con his way into Jabba the Hutt's personal guard several days prior, and had been present in Jabba's palace when all of his companions had also arrived. Now that espionage was decidedly out of the question for this mission, though, he decided that the ruse was no longer necessary. He now struggled with the skiff pilot as Luke, Sora, and Riku engaged the other five guards.

With a quick flourish of his lightsaber, Luke took the guard on the plank by surprise and managed to slice a decently large gash in his stomach. The skiff guard fell back in pain, falling from the plank and into the dreaded Pit of Carkoon. The guard could not hope to ascend the sandy slopes that led down into the sarlaac's eagerly awaiting jaws, and soon found himself plunging down the beast's throat.

The sounds of panic could be heard over the _Khetanna_'s loudspeakers as Jabba and his guests realized what was going on. The confused shouts only seemed to increase the prisoners' morale as they lashed out against their captors. Sora's keyblade sliced neatly through one of the guards' blaster rifles; as the guard stared at his weapon in shock, Sora delivered a kick to his stomach that sent the guard tumbling over the skiff's railing and into the pit. Riku plunged his own keyblade into the chest of another guard, then blasted him over the edge with a Dark Aura. As the impaled guard plummeted to his doom, Riku called the keyblade back to his hand.

Lando continued to grapple with the skiff pilot, wrestling for control of the craft. As he did so, Sora rushed over to Chewbacca; the Wookiee's wrists had been bound to prevent him from doing anything violent, but a quick slice of the Oathkeeper was enough to rectify that. Meanwhile, Luke approached the fourth skiff guard and lashed out with his lightsaber, followed by a hard kick to the ribs. Before the guard could realize that it was now missing its hands, it was already falling inexorably toward the gaping jaws of the sarlaac.

Riku cast his gaze toward the _Khetanna_'s top deck. There was a heavy blaster cannon mounted at the rear of the vehicle, but it was currently out of order. Jabba the Hutt apparently hadn't bothered to remove the protective tarpaulin that covered the cannon, and now two Gamorrean guards worked frantically at the task. As they did so, a third guard mounted a smaller portable cannon onto the deck's railing and began to take aim. "Guys!" Riku shouted, "We need to get a move on!"

But the warning came too late. A single shot burst from the portable cannon and sped straight toward where Lando and the pilot still struggled. The shot connected mere inches from its intended targets, though the resulting blast sent both Lando and the pilot overboard.

The concussive blast had also jarred a coil of rope from its mount on the side of the skiff, causing it to dangle within Lando's reach as he fell. Lando grabbed hold of the life-saving rope, but the pilot had no such luck. He continued to fall until the sarlaac swallowed him up. "_Heeeelp!_" Lando pleaded, still dangling from the rope.

As Riku continued to scan the _Khetanna_ for signs of danger, a single figure caught his eye. Boba Fett had reached the top deck, and was now igniting his jetpack in an attempt to reach the skiff. "Oh no," Riku muttered, a burst Dark Aura manifesting in his left hand, "you're _mine_."

Riku thrust his left hand forward and launched the Aura at Boba Fett. The shot met Boba in midair, sending him crashing with a _thud_ upon the skiff. Riku poised this keyblade for the killing blow, but at that moment, a second blast of cannon fire racked the skiff.

The blast landed very near where Han, Sora, and Chewbacca were standing. As Sora instinctively rolled away from the blast, Chewbacca flung himself at Han, sending them both to the ground and out of harm's way.

Well… _almost_ out of harm's way. Chewbacca clutched at his left leg and howled in pain. "Chewie!" Han cried out in alarm. "You're hit? Where is it? Take it easy, pal!"

The distraction had given Boba Fett the opportunity to rise to his feet. He aimed his right gauntlet at Riku, and from it shot a powerful steel cable. The cable coiled around Riku's arms and pinned them to his sides, but Riku's keyblade was still in his hands. With a deft flick of the wrist, Riku sliced through the cable and quickly freed himself.

Han Solo was still trying to help Chewbacca with his leg. The wound looked nasty, and sizable bits of shrapnel could be seen jutting from it. "Sora!" Han called. "You've got magic! _Heal_ him or something!"

"If I seal it up now, you'll never get the metal out!" Sora shouted back. "Besides, I think we have company!"

Sure enough, Sora was right. The second skiff flanking the _Khetanna_ had finally managed to work its way around the sail barge and was now headed toward the first skiff. Luke was already leaping onto the second skiff, though he would find himself grossly outnumbered once he landed. Riku seemed preoccupied with Boba Fett, and Lando Calrissian seemed to have disappeared. "You stay here with Chewie!" Sora told Lando. "Luke looks like he needs help!"

As Sora ran toward the other skiff, Chewbacca growled at Han. Han picked up a nearby spear that a guard had dropped, and now stared blankly at Chewbacca. Chewbacca growled in alarm, and Han's face progressed from confusion to panic. "Boba Fett?" he asked. "Boba Fett? Where?"

At that particular moment, Boba was still engaged with Riku. He took aim at the silver-haired Keyblade Master with his blaster rife, but Riku sliced it neatly in two. Before Riku could do anything else, however, Boba tossed the rifle aside and hastily drew his sidearm—a small blaster pistol. Riku managed to bring up his keyblade and deflect the first shot in the nick of time; in retaliation, Boba fired off a second shot. Riku managed to bat the second blaster bolt aside, and managed to send the third flying back at Boba's chest. But Boba's armor was quite efficient, and the blow barely slowed the bounty hunter down. Riku knew that he couldn't keep up his defense for much longer, but Boba was giving him neither time nor room for a decent attack…

In perhaps the greatest stroke of dumb luck in galactic history, Han Solo blindly turned around. He had been near enough to Boba that his spear accidentally drove straight into the bounty hunter's jetpack. The jetpack roared to life, and Boba let out an astonished shout as it carried him off. The jetpack sent Boba careening into the side of the _Khetanna_ before finally shutting off. Boba plunged from the sail barge's side and into the Pit of Carkoon, where the sarlaac met him with an open maw.

The sarlaac belched loudly as it swallowed its heavily-armored entrée.

* * *

Inside the _Khetanna_, all had erupted into chaos.

Jabba the Hutt sat in the lower deck of the massive sail barge, watching the unexpected battle with a mixture of fear and fury. This had never _happened_ before… no prisoner had ever _dared_ to resist Jabba the Hutt! He would see them all pay for this outrage, and they would pay _dearly_.

Jabba flailed his stubby arms and bellowed uselessly in Huttese. In his rage, he managed to drop his voice-amplifying comlink; Princess Leia, still securely leashed to Jabba's side, managed to locate it and pick it up. This was perhaps her only opportunity for freedom, and she most certainly wasn't going to give it up now.

Summoning all her strength, Leia smashed the comlink into a nearby control panel. The lights went out and the windows sealed shut, and screams of horror pervaded the air as those last subtle comforts vanished.

While all of his guests fled the room in terror, Jabba could do little more than shout and flail. His massive girth wasn't going _anywhere_, and Leia intended to take full advantage. She took hold of the leash fixed to her neck and clambered over Jabba's back. She flung her chain around Jabba's throat and pulled with all her might. Jabba's windpipe all but collapsed under the strain, and his bulbous eyes now threatened to pop from their sockets. The Hutt clutched at his throat with his meaty hands and lashed out with his stubby tail, but Leia would not be shaken so easily.

Harder and harder Leia tugged at the chain, pouring all of her muscle—and all her _anger_—into that desperate pull. Jabba was going to die. At last, he would pay for everything he'd done: imprisoning Han, trying to kill Luke and Sora, attempting to feed them all to the sarlaac… and _especially_ for making Leia wear that _horrible_ slave dancer costume.

As Leia thought about all these things, her rage fueled her strength. The chain grew tighter around Jabba's thick neck, and the Hut continued to flail and choke. He was now lashing out with his tongue as well as his tail, though his hands still clawed uselessly at his throat. At last, he let out an agonized scream. Leia gave one last, desperate tug of the chain, and the Hutt slumped forward. His eyes glazed over and halfway closed; his tongue lolled from his mouth, and his tail stopped thrashing. His hands dropped limply to his sides, and all his struggles ceased.

The mighty Jabba the Hutt was dead.

Leia breathed a sigh of relief. _That_ part of the nightmare, at least, was over. Still, she knew that she didn't have long to rest. Her friends were still out there, and she had no idea whether they were winning or losing the battle. Leia tried to flee the room, only to come to a terrible realization: she was still chained to Jabba's corpse.

Leia didn't have long to wait before a friendly sight met her eyes. R2-D2 had managed to escape the _Khetanna_'s top deck during all the commotion, and had returned to Jabba's private room to find Leia. The little astromech droid extended a mechanical arm from his cylindrical body; Leia held up a section of her leash, and the arm discharged enough energy to break through it. As R2-D2 retracted the arm, Leia told him, "Come on. We gotta get outta here."

R2-D2 tootled in agreement, and the two exited the room with all haste.

In the adjoining room, Salacious Crumb was taking out his fear and anger on the nearest available object: C-3PO. The protocol droid was pinned to the floor by Salacious's weight, and the monkey-lizard had succeeded in all but removing C-3PO's right photoreceptor. It now dangled from its socket by a handful of wires, which Salacious was about to begin tearing through. "Not my eyes!" C-3PO wailed. "Artoo, help! _Quickly_, Artoo!"

As R2-D2 approached his gold-plated friend, he once again extended one of the mechanical arms housed in his body. R2-D2 pointed the arm directly at Salacious, and from it erupted a powerful jot of electricity. Salacious screeched in pain and leaped up to the ceiling. C-3PO sat up and used his good photoreceptor to locate Salacious before shouting, "_Beast_!"

* * *

Just outside the _Khetanna_, Luke and Sora were slashing their way through the guards on the second skiff; Riku remained on the first skiff did his best to defend Han Solo and Chewbacca from incoming fire. Han had finally noticed Lando dangling from a rope attached to the skiff, and was now attempting to help him up. He still had his spear from his brief encounter with Boba Fett, and now lowered it as far as he could. "Lando, grab it!" he shouted.

Lando's response was practically a scream. "_Lower it_!"

"I'm trying!" Han grunted, straining to bring the spear down further.

Suddenly, a blast of cannon fire pitched the skiff onto its side. Riku leaped onto the topmost side and managed to keep his footing, but everything else—including Han and Chewbacca—began to slide overboard. The rope holding Lando aloft finally snapped, but Lando dug his boots into the sandy slopes of the pit and managed to hold his ground.

Chewbacca managed to get a decent hold on the craft, but Han was anchored to the shiff only by a very thin rope. "Grab me, Chewie!" he exclaimed. "And Riku, it would be _nice_ if that _didn't happen again_!"

"Don't blame me!" Riku grunted as he threw out his palm, erecting a Dark Shield just in time to prevent another cannon blast from slamming into the skiff. "_You_ try doing this and see how _you _do!"

The argument was cut short by a desperate cry from the pit. "I'm slipping!" Lando called, reaching for anything to take hold of.

Han, now held firmly in place by the strong arms of a Wookiee, grew a little bolder. He thrust his spear as far toward Lando as it would go. "Come on, grab it! Grab it! _Almost_… you almost got it!"

Another blast of cannon fire smashed into the skiff. "_Riku_!" Han shouted. "What's going on up there?"

"I'm having a little trouble deflecting _every single shot_!" Riku snapped. "So I suggest you guys _hurry up_!"

Meanwhile, not too far away, Luke and Sora had finally cleared out the second skiff. They barely had time to catch their breath, however, before Sora noticed something even worse. "Look up there!"

Indeed, Jabba's guards had finally managed to remove the tarpaulin from the sail barge's _big_ laser cannon. And if the portable one had managed to tip the first skiff over in only a few shots, then a blast from the larger cannon might have been enough to blow it up.

"Oh, no." Luke muttered. "We have to get up there, but _don't _destroy the big cannon. Just make sure none of the guards can use it before we do."

"Got it." Sora acknowledged him. With this, both Luke and Sora leaped toward the _Khetanna_'s top deck. Sora managed to reach the deck's railing and clamber over it, but Luke fell just shy of his mark; instead, he landed on the side of the _Khetanna_'s hull. A guard poked out its head in an attempt to intercept Luke, but a slash of Luke's lightsaber quickly rectified that.

As soon as Sora reached the _Khetanna_'s top deck, he aimed a Blizzaga spell at the guard operating the portable cannon. An ice shard as large and sharp as a spearhead flew directly into the guard's brain, causing him to jerk about for a moment before falling prostrate upon the deck.

Two more blaster-wielding guards on the far end of the skiff took aim at Sora, but before they could open fire, Luke leaped up onto the deck and neatly removed both of their heads. After quickly nodding to one another, Luke and Sora approached the massive cannon only a few feet away. Only a handful of Gamorreans were left to defend that cannon, and they would be dealt with soon enough…

Back on the lopsided cargo skiff, Han Solo tried lowering his spear toward Lando again. "_Gently_ now." As Lando inched toward the spear, Han added to his Wookiee friend, "All right! Easy! Easy! _Hold_ me, Chewie!"

Lando was just about to seize the spear when a single tentacle reached up from the pit and wrapped around his leg. Lando cried out in alarm as the sarlaac began to drag him down.

"Chewie!" Han yelled, desperately searching for any means of helping his friend. At last, he spotted a fallen blaster pistol jutting from the skiff. "Chewie, give me the gun!" As soon as Chewbacca had done so, Han pointed the blaster at Lando and did his best to take aim. "Don't move, Lando!" he shouted.

"No, wait! I thought you were _blind_!" Lando cried. He couldn't tell what scared him more: a sarlaac clutching his leg or a sightless Han Solo with a gun in his hand.

"It's all right!" Han assured him. "I can see a lot better! Don't move!"

Lando wasn't convinced, especially since Han was aiming the pistol directly at his kneecaps. "_A little higher_!" Lando begged. "Just a little higher!"

Han adjusted his aim ever so slightly and squeezed the trigger. A blaster bolt erupted from the pistol and, whether by a miracle or just more dumb luck, managed to hit the sarlaac tentacle. The sarlaac shrieked in anguish as it released its intended prey; Lando at last managed to grab hold of Han's spear, and now held on to it for dear life.

"All right, Chewie, pull us up!" Han called to his Wookiee friend. "All right… _up_, Chewie. _Up_!"

Luke and Sora watched from the _Khetanna_'s top deck as Lando was hauled safely aboard the skiff. Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO emerged from the lower deck a moment later, and everyone was accounted for. As Luke and Sora continued to engage the legions of guards that gathered around them, Luke shouted to Leia, "Get the gun! Point it at the deck!"

Leia wordlessly complied, mounting the massive laser cannon and swiveling it around. "The _deck_!" Sora reminded her as he thrust his keyblade into a Gamorrean's stomach. "The _deck_!"

As Leia fumbled with the cannon controls, a guard popped up from below deck and took aim at Luke. As Luke raised his lightsaber to strike at a Gamorrean, the hidden guard took aim with his pistol and fired. The shot hit the back of Luke's artificial right hand, eliciting a groan of pain from the Jedi Knight. Luke spun around and slashed through the chest of the guard who'd shot him.

Mere yards away from the fighting, C-3PO scuttled around the deck with R2-D2 close behind. "Artoo, where are we going?" the protocol droid asked as R2-D2 directed him toward a gap in the deck's railing. "I couldn't possibly ju—_aaaaaaah!_"

C-3PO's query was cut of as R2-D2 knocked him off the sail barge and into a sandy dune not far below. With a whistle, R2-D2 then willingly rolled off and landed near his friend.

Luke Skywalker ran toward the laser cannon where Princess Leia was waiting. Luke took hold of a nearby rigging rope and said to her, "Come on!" As Luke wrapped an arm around Leia's waist, however, he suddenly remembered that Sora didn't have a means of getting across to the skiff. "Sora…" he said apologetically.

"I'm fine." Sora assured him. "I got up here; I can get back down."

Luke kicked the laser cannon's firing trigger before he and Leia swung from the barge. Sora ran to the edge of the deck and leaped for all he was worth. Luke and Leia landed safely on the awaiting skiff, but Sora's leap had been just a bit short…

Riku reached out from the skiff and seized Sora's hand as he fell. "Got'cha." he grunted as he hauled his friend aboard. "Wouldn't wanna lose you after all that because of a stupid jump."

"Yeah." Sora agreed with a sheepish grin. "Let's _not_ tell Kairi about that."

As a series of cannon shots and explosions rang out from the _Khetanna_, Luke called out, "Let's go! And don't forget the droids!"

Lando was already at the skiff's controls. "We're on our way!" he declared with a victorious smile. The skiff didn't get far before Lando spotted R2-D2's swiveling periscope and C-3PO's thrashing legs sticking out of the sand. Two powerful electromagnets deployed from the skiff and latched onto the two droids, hauling them up just in time for the skiff to outdistance the final, massive blast that reduced the _Khetanna_ to little more than scattered chunks of scrap metal.

The mission, albeit a bit more difficult than originally thought, had been a success. Han Solo was safe and sound, and now he and his friends could return to the Rebel base in peace…

* * *

Just outside of Tatooine's atmosphere, two vessels flew on in opposite directions. One was a T-65 class X-wing starfighter; the other was an old, broken-down Corellian freighter. Within the freighter—the infamous _Millennium Falcon_—rode seven passengers: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Leia Organa, C-3PO, Sora, and Riku. In the cockpit of the X-wing fighter was Luke Skywalker, and R2-D2 was plugged into the astromech socket of the craft.

Now that the mission had ended in victory, nearly everyone was ready to return to the Rebel base (which had recently been relocated to the planet Sullust). Sora in particular was very eager to get back, if for no other reason than to be there for his pregnant wife. Leia still felt the need to scrub herself _thoroughly_ after her ordeal with Jabba, and everyone else was looking forward to a bit of down time after such a strenuous six months.

Luke, on the other hand, was not inclined to rest on his laurels, even if only for a moment. He was still a Jedi, after all, and he had every intention of finishing what he and Yoda had begun six months ago. He needed to complete his training if he was to have any hope of confronting Darth Vader again.

Luke activated his ship's comlink and contacted the _Millennium Falcon_. "I'll meet you back at the fleet." he promised.

"_Hurry_." Leia entreated. "_The Alliance should be assembled by now_."

Luke couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit as he assured her, "I will."

Han's voice was the next to be heard over the comlink as he said with relief, "_Hey, Luke, thanks. Thanks for comin' after me. Now I owe _you_ one._"

"_Luke,_" Riku's voice cut in, "_I just got a call from King Mickey. He's headed for Dagobah_."

"Yeah, me too." Luke replied. "I wonder why."

"_I'd watch my back if I were you_." Riku cautioned, his voice growing sterner. "_The king wouldn't have left the fleet unless something either really _good_ or really _bad_ was going on. And from the sound of his voice, I don't think it was good._"

Luke shrugged off the warning. What could possibly be happening on a backwater swamp world like_ Dagobah_? Still, just to assuage Riku's concern, Luke stated, "Don't worry. I'll be careful."

Riku didn't sound convinced. "_Famous last words_."

The comlink shut off, and R2-D2 tootled nervously. Luke sat back in his seat as the astromech's message was displayed upon one of the screens in front of him. "That's what I said, Artoo." Luke told the droid. "We're going to the Dagobah system."

R2-D2 let out a series of questioning beeps as Luke pulled a black glove over his right hand in order to conceal the newly exposed wires and circuitry. Once R2-D2 had finished, Luke read the message and explained, "I have a promise to keep… to an old friend."

Luke took a deep breath and charted his course. Before long, he would be back on Dagobah to finish his training, King Mickey or no.

* * *

The Death Star had a _very_ special guest today.

In a blatant display of the vast power and resources at the Empire's disposal, a procession of no less than a hundred TIE fighters orbited the Death Star as a single Imperial shuttle approached the hangar.

Darth Vader stood in the center of the massive hangar, but he was by no means alone. The entire 501st Legion—the military division more commonly known as "Vader's Fist"—had been packed into the hangar in tight formation, leaving just enough room for the shuttle to land and to create a path from the ship to the hangar's exit.

Commander Jerjerrod, the officer in charge of the station, stood off to Darth Vader's right and did his very best not to quake in his boots. Under Vader's strict supervision, Jerjerrod had managed to put the Death Star's construction back on schedule… but failure to keep the station on schedule in the _first place_ may have been enough to ensure his death. Still, he'd made it this far, so perhaps he was off the hook…

Jerjerrod was so busy worrying that he briefly forgot not to tremble.

At last, the Imperial shuttle landed in the hangar just a few scant yards from where Darth Vader stood. As the landing ramp lowered, a procession of six red-robed Imperial guards—each wielding a six-foot-long pike—stepped forth and moved to the ramp's base. Once all six guards were in position, Darth Vader knelt as the special guest appeared:

Emperor Palpatine, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Emperor Palpatine moved with all the grace and subtlety of a shadow, and clad in his flowing black cloak, that was exactly what he looked like. Palpatine's body was withered and gray, but his yellow eyes burned from beneath his dark hood as he surveyed his surroundings. His frame was small and slightly hunched, but there was no mistaking the waves of raw _power_ he exuded. Power… and _evil_.

When Palpatine reached Darth Vader's kneeling form, he raised a hand in a gesture for him to stand. "_Rise_, my friend." he commanded, falling into step beside Darth Vader as the two began to walk through the hangar.

There was a moment of silence as Vader and Palpatine sauntered on. Vader had something very important to bring to Palpatine's attention, and he tried to think of a way to say so without being too blunt. Instead, he decided to begin with the good news. "The Death Star _will_ be completed on schedule."

"You've done well, Lord Vader." Palpatine congratulated him, his harsh, cackling voice a stark contrast to Vader's deep bass. For most of the Imperials in the room, it was difficult to say which voice was more frightening. "And now I sense you wish to continue your search for young Skywalker."

Darth Vader paused for a moment. That was _exactly_ what he'd wanted, and he hadn't even been given the chance to ask for it. It was rather unnerving to know that Palpatine could see into his innermost feelings, but it was a bit of a relief to know that now, he wouldn't have to worry about breaking the news to him.

All Darth Vader said in response was, "Yes, my master."

"_Patience_, my friend." Palpatine told him, his words laced with poison. "In time, he will seek _you_ out. And when he does, you must bring him before _me_. He has grown strong… only _together_ can we turn him to the dark side of the Force."

"As you wish." Darth Vader submitted. It still struck him as odd that Palpatine was willing to defy two thousand years of Sith tradition by breaking the Rule of Two, but Vader wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Having his son by his side would be the greatest joy he'd known since… oh, so very _long_…

"And now, Lord Vader," Palpatine went on, "I see that another matter still troubles you: the Keybearers and their meddlesome friends."

"Yes, my master." Darth Vader answered. "They have become a very real threat to our efforts."

"I would hardly consider your personal endeavors on Bespin to be _our_ efforts." Palpatine spat, his voice growing even harsher. "But perhaps you are correct. Sora once again proves himself to be a prominent thorn in my side, and his allies are no better. Hunting them down must become your greatest priority. Wherever _they_ are, young Skywalker is sure to follow." With a sinister grin, Palpatine added, "And perhaps the inevitable _loss_ of his friends will serve to drive Skywalker closer to the dark side. Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen."

And then a cackle—an evil, hideous cackle that echoed throughout the hangar, chilling the heart of even the most hardened soldier within.

Jerjerrod decided to make a hasty exit before he stained his uniform.

* * *

**A/N: And that's it. You like? I most certainly hope so...**

**I once again extend my sincerest apologies for being gone for so long, but I had a lot to sort through. It should be over now, though so we're back in business. To those of you whose stories used to receive reviews from me, I promise to start catching up ASAP. It might take me some time (four and a half months is a long time to be away), but I WILL get to you eventually. **

**A gentle reminder: PLEASE REVIEW! My extended absence gave my last chapter enough time to garner an awe-inspiring EIGHTEEN reviews, which is nothing to sneeze at. I ask that you please keep doing such a wonderful job, and that you be patient with me as I try to get caught up on everything I've missed out on. To reviewers both old and new, since I've taken you for granted too often in the past: THANKS!**

**Until next time (hopefully soon), Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	19. Burdens

**A/N: And here I am again, hoping to put this story back on schedule. But before we move on, I have a little announcement to make.**

**On December 16th, 2009, Roy Edward Disney passed away at the age of seventy-nine years old. His death was exactly 43 years and one day after the death of his uncle Walt Disney, and like his uncle, Roy's death was caused by cancer. Roy was the man who made sure that the Disney corporation stayed true to the standards that Walt set down, and we can now only pray that those standards will still be adhered to despite his passing. Roy Disney was a man worthy of remembrance, and it is the least I can do to mention him here.**

**And now, on to Chapter 19...**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Burdens**

Luke landed on the planet Dagobah quite smoothly this time around, and had managed to keep his X-wing _out_ of the bog this time. R2-D2 stood watch by the ship as Luke approached Yoda's quaint little hut. Just as Riku had warned him, Luke saw the _Cygnus_—King Mickey's impressive Falcon Lv. 10 class Gummi ship—sitting on a mossy knoll not too far away from the dwelling.

Whatever expectations Luke maintained as he entered Yoda's hut, all of them vanished away in the face of what awaited him inside.

Yoda and King Mickey were standing together by Yoda's crude fireplace, watching the embers begin to fade. Mickey held a hand on Yoda's back to steady him as he stared into the fire. The once bright light that shone in Yoda's eyes had grown dim, and he leaned heavily on his gimer stick. Every wrinkle upon the Jedi Master's countenance seemed to run deeper than ever before, and the movements of his joints resembled nothing so much as those of a droid in desperate need of lubricant.

Luke sat down underneath the low ceiling of Yoda's hut and stared intently at him. What could have _happened_? Could a creature that had seemed so spry and full of life six months ago now be so old and frail? It seemed so.

At the moment, Yoda and Mickey were talking, and they seemed to have been doing so for a good while. "Rejoice for those who transform into the Force." Yoda said to Mickey, his voice barely a whisper. "Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not."

"I know." Mickey nodded. "I guess _I'm_ kinda gettin' old, too. I've seen _lots_ o' death… but it's all part o' the circle of life. And you'll _always_ be in the hearts of everybody who cares about ya. As long as we can remember that, sayin' goodbye is just a little bit easier."

Yoda chuckled softly. "A wise and noble teacher, you are. A fool I was, not to see. Accept, will you, an old Jedi's apology?"

"Gosh…" Mickey murmured. "Of _course_ I will."

"Then rest easier will I," Yoda nodded, "when the time comes."

Silence followed as Yoda and Mickey slowly became aware of Luke's presence. Mickey gave a long, sad look to Luke before Yoda finally rasped, "That face you make… look I so old to young eyes?"

Luke jolted in surprise. Had he really displayed his thoughts so prominently upon his visage, or did Yoda still have at least _some_ power left in his shriveled, decrepit body? "_No_." Luke answered quickly, trying to hide anything that may have hurt his teacher. More calmly, he added, "Of course not."

Yoda was not deceived. "I do." he said weakly, letting out a small cough. "_Yes_, I do. Sick have I become. Old and weak." Yoda flashed a wry smile. "When nine hundred years old _you_ reach, look as good _you_ will not, hmm?"

King Mickey helped Yoda to cross the room as the Jedi Master chuckled at his own remark… but the chuckles soon gave way to coughs, and even the comfort of gentle humor passed away. Yoda's bed was beside the wall opposite the fireplace; Luke watched plaintively as Mickey slowly helped Yoda climb onto it. "Here ya go, Master Yoda."

"Thank you." Yoda wheezed. "Soon will I rest. Yes… forever sleep. Earned it, I have."

A cold wave of unbearable sadness washed over Luke and filled his heart as he heard this news. If Yoda really meant what he was saying, if the mournful look in King Mickey's eyes was of any indication… but it _couldn't_ be. Yoda couldn't possibly be _that_ far gone… _could_ he?

"Master Yoda," Luke pleaded, "you can't _die_."

"Strong am I with the Force," Yoda whispered, bowing his head, "but not _that_ strong."

Yoda handed his gimer stick to Luke as Mickey helped him get under the threadbare covers of his bed. Once this was done, Mickey could only stand and watch in silence as he observed this final exchange between student and master.

"Twilight is upon me," Yoda murmured, "and soon… night must fall. That is the way of things—the way of the _Force_."

"But I need your help!" Luke begged. "I've come back to _complete_ the training!"

Yoda's eyes narrowed, and his gaze seemed far away. "No more training do you require. Already know you, that which you need."

Despite his mentor's rapidly deteriorating state, Luke's face couldn't help but brighten as he realized, "Then I _am_ a Jedi."

Now, Yoda turned his head to look at Luke once more. From his lips issued a pitiful mixture of laughter and coughing before he managed to say, "Not yet. One thing remains: _Vader_. You _must confront Vader_. _Then_, only _then_, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will."

As Yoda settled back onto his pillow, Luke felt King Mickey's hand upon his back. "I got faith in ya." the mouse king said with a weak smile.

Luke was still not comforted. His mentor was slowly dying, and one very important question still weighed upon his mind, as it had for the past six months. "Master Yoda," Luke questioned hesitantly, "_is_ Darth Vader my father?"

Yoda looked away, as though deliberately avoiding the question. "_Rest_, I need. Yes… _rest_."

Luke turned helplessly to Mickey. Surely this secret, this all-important secret that Luke should have known from the very _beginning_ was not to be kept from him still. The question ate at his mind like a thing alive, filling him with fear and doubt the likes of which he'd never known before.

Mickey saw the desperation in Luke's eyes, and he found it too much to ignore. With a submissive sigh, Mickey told him, "Yes. Darth Vader's your father."

"Told you, did he?" Yoda asked sternly.

Luke found it difficult to focus. He'd known it to be true ever since Vader had first told him, but that made it no easier to accept. To have it _confirmed_… to hear it from the mouths of the two greatest masters he'd ever known… it made Luke's stomach coil into knots.

"Yes," was all Luke could say.

"Unexpected, this is." Yoda said gravely, his face still turned away from Luke's. "And unfortunate."

Luke's eyes widened. "Unfortunate that I know the _truth_?" he huffed indignantly.

"_No_!" Yoda exclaimed, finally turning to look Luke in the eye. "Unfortunate that you rushed to _face_ him—that _incomplete_ was your _training_! That… not ready for the _burden_ were you."

Though he did not say it aloud, King Mickey Mouse acknowledged that Yoda's reasoning had been sound. After all, Mickey had been playing the exact same game with _Riku_ for as long has the two had known each other. Sometimes, it was kinder to keep such terrible secrets from those whom they concerned. Sometimes, keeping secrets could spare people a lot of pain.

When faced with this logic, Luke lowered his gaze and shook his head. "I'm sorry." he apologized, his voice cracking ever so slightly. Luke was a strong-hearted young man, but the truth was a lot to take in. It _was_ a heavy burden to bear, and no words would ever be enough to make it any easier to carry.

"Remember," Yoda rasped, "a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware: anger, fear, aggression… the _dark side_ are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Yoda's voice began to strain, and his breathing became labored. He was not long for this galaxy… but he still had more to say.

"Luke… _Luke_…" Yoda murmured weakly. "Do not… do not underestimate the powers of the emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you will. Luke… when gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke… the Force runs _strong_ in your family; pass on what you have learned."

Yoda lifted up his eyes and fought to hold onto his life for just a moment longer. He had one last, very important thing to say. "Luke…" he groaned. "There is… another… _Sky_… _walker_…"

The last of his energy spent, Jedi Grand Master Yoda closed his eyes in death.

Luke was left staring at the shriveled, green corpse. So many questions had been left unanswered. Who was this other Skywalker? Did Darth Vader know? Did _anyone_ know? _Oh, Yoda_, Luke thought with remorse, _why did you have to die?_

Thunder rolled in the distance. Slowly, Yoda's body faded from existence, leaving only an empty space where his body had lain. The blankets collapsed onto the bed to close the space that Yoda had occupied, and for some reason, the body's disappearance only saddened Luke further. Master Yoda was, in every possible sense of the word, _gone_. Now, there weren't even any remains left.

King Mickey placed a reassuring hand on Luke's back. "Gosh, Luke… I know how ya feel. Sayin' goodbye to somebody you care about is always hard."

Luke shook his head. "It isn't just that." he sighed. "He left so many _questions_ when he died. How am _I_ supposed to know when I'm ready to face my father? And who's this _other_ Skywalker? Do _you_ know anything, Your Majesty?"

King Mickey shook his head sadly. "Sorry, Luke. I wish I did."

Luke and King Mickey walked together out of Yoda's old hut, letting the last of the fire in Yoda's fireplace die out of its own accord. As they headed back toward Luke's X-wing, the man and the mouse continued to converse.

"How long did you know?" Luke asked. "About Yoda?"

"That he was gonna die?" Mickey replied sadly. "Not too long. I just got this real bad feelin', and I came over as fast as I could."

"I heard you and Yoda talking." Luke pointed out. "What was it about?"

"Jedi and Keybearers, a lot o' the time." Mickey explained. "He told me… maybe the Jedi were _wrong_. After they beat the Sith last time, they didn't change anything—they just stuck to what they'd always been doin'. But the Sith _changed_. They got _stronger_. So when they came back, the Jedi couldn't beat 'em.

"Yoda said," Mickey went on, "the Jedi need to change too. Yoda said they needed to be more like…" Mickey called his shimmering golden keyblade to his hand and examined it with a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "More like _us_."

"Like _Keybearers_?." Luke questioned. "But how is that possible? You're so _different_ from the Jedi! The Force—"

"I know." Mickey cut him off, dismissing his blade. "Jedi follow the Force, and Keybearers follow their hearts. But when ya get right down to it, I think it's the same. The Force has light and darkness, and it's up to _you_ to choose what part you act on. Just follow the light, and I _know_ you'll be a great Jedi, Luke."

Luke bowed his head. "I can't do it, Your Majesty." he muttered. "I can't go on _alone_."

Luke and Mickey came to a stop directly in front of Luke's X-wing, where R2-D2 was making minor repairs. Mickey looked up to Luke and flashed a warm, reassuring smile. "You're never alone, Luke. Not as long as you keep all your friends in your heart."

"_The king is right, Luke_." said an all-too-familiar voice. "_Yoda will always be with you._"

Luke's head whipped around faster than even Mickey's keen eyes could follow. As he turned, Luke gasped, "Obi-Wan!"

Indeed, the spectral form of Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped forth from behind a cluster of gnarled tree trunks. Luke approached Obi-Wan's spirit with more than a little anger in his voice as he questioned, "Why didn't you _tell_ me? You told me Vader betrayed and _murdered_ my father."

"Your father," Obi-Wan elaborated, "was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and _became_ Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was _true_… from a certain point of view."

"A _certain point of view_?" Luke repeated. Did _all_ Jedi speak in riddles and half-truths like this? If the Jedi were indeed in need of change, Luke vowed, _that_ would be the first thing to go.

"Luke," Obi-Wan's spirit said, sitting down upon a thick root that stuck up from the ground, "you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Anakin was a good friend, as King Mickey could tell you."

"I met Anakin when he was just a little fella." Mickey nodded. "He had a good heart, and he helped us out a lot."

"When I first knew him," Obi-Wan added, "your father was already a great pilot, but I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda… I was wrong."

"There _is_ still good in him." Luke asserted. He _knew_ there was—he'd _felt_ the conflict within him all throughout the duel below Cloud City. Even after all he'd been through, Darth Vader still had a _conscience_.

"He reminds me of somebody else I know." King Mickey added, halfway to himself. "_Riku_. Riku's heart is _full_ o' darkness, but he always holds on to the light. Maybe… if we can show _Vader_ there's still light inside him… maybe we can still _save_ him."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "He's more _machine_ now than man… twisted and evil."

Luke shook his head. "I can't do it, Ben."

"You cannot escape your destiny." Obi-Wan asserted. "You must face Darth Vader again."

"I can't kill my own _father_." Luke argued. The very _idea_ chilled Luke to the core. Sith Lord or not, no man should be forced to make that terrible choice.

Obi-Wan heaved a heavy sigh. "Then the emperor has already won. _You_ were our only hope."

_Then again_, Luke realized, _maybe not_. "Yoda spoke of another." he pointed out. It was a desperate argument, but Luke was willing to try _anything_ to avoid meeting his father in combat again.

Obi-Wan stared hard at Luke, as though contemplating whether to give Luke this final piece of the puzzle. Unable to reach a final decision, Obi-Wan cast a tentative look toward King Mickey. "Ya might as well tell 'im, whatever it is." Mickey advised. "He's made it this far by himself… why not give 'im some help?"

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "Very well, Your Majesty. I trust your judgment." To Luke, Obi-Wan said, "The other he spoke of is your twin sister."

Luke looked confused. "But I _have_ no sister."

"To protect you both from the emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous."

As Luke and King Mickey heard this, they racked their brains. Mickey's face was the first to light up as he realized the truth, but he said nothing. Luke needed the chance to figure it out on his own.

At last, the light bulb in Luke's mind flickered on. "_Leia_!" he exclaimed. "_Leia's_ my sister!"

"Your insight serves you well." Obi-Wan nodded. As a warning, he added, "_Bury_ your feelings, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the emperor."

"I don't like sayin' it," Mickey sighed, "but Obi-Wan's right. Your heart'll be an open book to Vader and the emperor… if you let 'em know about Leia, they might try to use _her_ to get to _you_."

Luke nodded in agreement. His task had been set before him, and he knew what he had to do. _Still_, he thought with a pang of sadness, _that doesn't make it any easier_.

* * *

The Rebel Fleet was, as always, an amazing sight to behold. Stationed in orbit around the volcanic world of Sullust, ships ranging from blimp-shaped Mon Calamari cruisers to nimble X-Wing fighters had gathered to prepare for one final assault against the Empire. And in the exact center of this armada of spacecraft was the mighty _Home One_.

The _Home One_ had initially been designed for peaceful exploration and diplomatic missions, but had since been outfitted by the Rebel Alliance to be a vessel worthy to lead the fleet into battle. With a crew of well over five thousand and outfitted with the greatest armor and turret defenses money could buy, the _Home One _would be giving Imperial ships a _very_ hard time in the battle to come.

The senior officers of the Rebel fleet were currently gathered into the _Home One_'s briefing room, a holographic amphitheater with gleaming white benches arranged in semicircular tiers. These benches faced a large gray-and-white console in the center of the room, which housed a retracted holographic projector.

Queen Kairi of Radiant Garden sat on the front row, watching the only entrance to the room. Donald, Goofy, and Taran sat nearby, but the seat to Kairi's immediate left was vacant. _That_ seat was reserved for a very special person, one whom Kairi _desperately_ wished to see.

"Where is he?" Kairi whispered, her voice full of anxiety. "He should _be_ here by now."

"Aww, don't worry, Kairi." Goofy assured her from his position to her right. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"Yeah!" Donald (who was sitting to _Goofy's_ right) added. "He said he was on his way!"

"Still," Kairi replied, "it's been a long time since then. The ship could've gotten attacked or—"

"Hold on!" Taran cut her off, looking toward the entrance to the briefing room. "They've _arrived_!"

Kairi rose from her seat as quickly as she could and looked toward the briefing room entrance. Sure enough, she could see a few familiar faces coming inside: Han, Chewbacca, Lando, Leia, C-3PO, Riku… and then _him_.

_Sora_.

Sora's eyes darted around the room for a few seconds, apparently searching for something. Kairi held her breath and put a hand to her stomach as she waited for him to notice her.

At last, Sora's cerulean eyes locked with Kairi's orbs of indigo. His trademark grin spread across his face as he made his way toward her, pushing through the large crowd of officers and pilots that stood between him and his goal. Kairi's heart pounded within her breast as she waited for him to _reach _her… to _hold_ her… to _kiss_ her…

It wasn't long before Sora made it to where Kairi stood. He captured her in a gentle, loving embrace and touched his lips to hers. "Miss me?" he asked when they finally parted.

Kairi nodded, casting a glance downward. "We both did."

Sora followed Kairi's gaze, his grin widening as he saw what she was looking at. He placed his hand gently upon Kairi's stomach, overjoyed in the knowledge that there was a six-month-old fetus still developing in there. "How's the baby?"

"It kicked a lot while you were gone." Kairi told him. "I don't know how… but I think it _knows_ when you're not here."

As if to affirm Kairi's statement, Sora felt movement within Kairi's stomach, just beneath where his hand was resting. Kairi giggled as she said, "That's right. Tell Daddy not to run of and scare us like that again."

"That was a pretty good kick!" Sora remarked. "I think it might be a girl."

"I don't think so." Kairi retorted with a smile. "If it was a girl, that kick would've sent you flying across the room."

Sora and Kairi shared a good laugh at that.

Meanwhile, not too far away, Han Solo and his friends were taking their seats. Han had cleaned himself up nicely, and was now dressed in his traditional white shirt and black vest. He was currently conversing with Lando, who had changed into an elegant Rebel Alliance uniform, complete with flowing sky-blue cape.

"Well, look at you!" Han remarked. "A _general_, huh?"

Lando flashed a winning smile. "Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Tanaab."

"Well, don't look at me, pal." Han replied. "I just said you were a fair pilot—I didn't know they were lookin' for somebody to _lead_ this crazy attack."

"I'm surprised they didn't ask _you_ to do it." Lando pointed out.

"Well, who says they didn't?" Han countered with a smug grin. "But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"

Lando couldn't help but laugh as he and Han took their seats on either side of Chewbacca. Chewbacca's shrapnel wound had been cleaned and dressed aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, and had been treated as soon as he'd arrived upon the _Home One_. Chewbacca still favored the injured leg a bit, but he was able to walk with minimal difficulty by now.

At last, all of the Rebel Alliance leaders and honored guests (in the case of Sora and his friends) were seated and ready for the briefing. A small chime sounded to indicate the beginning of the briefing before a human woman moved to stand before everyone present. The woman possessed short auburn hair and eyes of bluish green. She moved with the grace and dignity of a noble; her face was soft and careworn.

This was Mon Mothma, Commander-in-Chief of the Rebel Alliance Military.

Mon Mothma came to a stop directly behind the holographic projector console in the center of the room. In a calm, crisp voice, she announced, "The emperor has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come. The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the emperor's new battle station."

As Mon Mothma spoke, the lights in the room dimmed and the holographic projector began to activate. The console projected first an enormous sphere of green, covered with jagged lines of yellow—perhaps a world of some sort. Just beside this green sphere, seemingly in orbit around it, was a much smaller sphere of red: the unfinished _Death Star II_.

"We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational." Mon Mothma continued. "With the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But _most_ important of all, we've learned that the emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star." Mon Mothma paused for a moment and glanced around the room. "Many Bothans _died_ to bring us this information. Admiral Ackbar, please."

With this, Mon Mothma stepped aside and made way for Admiral Ackbar, a Mon Calamari dressed in a spiffy white uniform. Ackbar, like all Mon Calamari, was an amphibious creature with dark brown skin, yellowish-orange eyes, and hands that closely resembled flippers. The _Home One_ was Ackbar's personal flagship, and as such, he was afforded a very high position within the Rebel military.

"You can see here," Ackbar announced in a croaky voice, "the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star _does_ have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest moon of Endor."

To demonstrate the range of the energy shield, the holographic image of Endor's moon projected a yellow "net" from its surface that reached out and encompassed the Death Star. "The shield must be deactivated," Ackbar went on, "if any attack is to be attempted."

The holograms of Endor's moon and the energy shield vanished, and the red image of the _Death Star II_ enlarged so that its details were easily visible. "Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor." The hologram displayed a visual representation of this plan, at last culminating in the Death Star's explosion in a flash of light. The holographic projector turned off as Ackbar continued, "General Calrissian and Keyblade Master Sora have volunteered to lead the fighter attack."

"Good luck." Han snorted. As Lando and Sora shot him questioning glances, Han added, "You're gonna need it."

Admiral Ackbar now stepped to the side and gestured toward the next speaker. "General Madine."

General Crix Madine was a middle-aged man with reddish brown hair and a short beard. He had once been a decorated Imperial officer before finally defecting to the Rebellion, and few Alliance members knew more about the Empire and its workings than Madine did.

"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle." Madine informed everyone. "Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."

From his position a few rows up, C-3PO murmured, "Sounds dangerous."

"I wonder who they found to pull _that_ off." Leia muttered to Han.

Leia got her answer soon enough, but it wasn't at all what she'd expected. "General Solo," Madine said firmly, "is your strike team assembled?"

Leia shot a surprised glance at Han as he gave his answer. "Uhh… my team's ready—I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."

Upon hearing this, Chewbacca lifted up his paw and howled. "It's gonna be rough, pal." Han told him. "I didn't wanna speak for you."

Chewbacca barked again, confirming that it was a risk he was willing to take. Han had to smile as he observed, "That's _one_."

"_General_," Leia added, giving Han a smile of admiration, "count me in."

"I guess _somebody's_ gotta keep an eye on you." Riku spoke up. "I'm in."

"Wherever Master Riku goes," Taran chimed in, "_I_ will follow."

"Gawrsh!" Goofy exclaimed, raising his hand. "Don't leave _us_ out!"

"We're going too!" Donald quacked.

Suddenly, another volunteer called out from the entrance to the room. All grew quiet as a famous falsetto voice cried, "Count _us_ in too, fellas!"

A moment later, King Mickey Mouse strode into the briefing room, with Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 just behind him. "_Your Majesty_!" Donald and Goofy cried together as Mickey made his way toward them.

Riku stood up and met Mickey about halfway across the room. "What happened on Dagobah?" he questioned.

Mickey's face fell for a moment as he remembered the events surrounding his little excursion to Dagobah. "I'll tell ya later, Riku." the mouse king promised after a moment. "It's nothin' to worry about right now."

"If you say so, Your Majesty." Riku nodded. Though Mickey's response troubled Riku a bit, he knew that the king was right: there were more important things to worry about right now. The final battle against the Empire was at hand, which meant that the companions would soon be returning _home_… though whether their return would be in triumph or in body bags remained to be seen.

Luke, meanwhile, had made his way toward where Han, Leia, and Chewbacca were sitting. Leia immediately rose from her seat and captured Luke in a relieved embrace, but Luke did not return the gesture. Seeing Leia—his _sister_, the sister he was supposed to keep _secret_ from the emperor—was still a bit much for his troubled mind.

Leia must have seen the discomfort on his face. "What is it?" she asked him concernedly.

There is was again. She'd asked the question in such a caring, _sisterly_ way, it was difficult for Luke to think of what to say. Perhaps it would be best to _wait_ before sharing this vital information with Leia… at least until they had a quieter place to talk. "Ask me again sometime." Luke said at last. Han Solo and Chewbacca also came over to meet him, and he greeted each of them in turn.

R2-D2 had immediately sought out his good friend C-3PO, and the two droids now stood together near the topmost row of benches. R2-D2 tootled eagerly, to which C-3PO issued a timid reply. "_Exciting_ is hardly the word _I_ would choose."

* * *

The _Tydirium_ was an impressive ship, to say the least.

A _Lambda_-class T-4a shuttle, the _Tydirium_ was twenty meters in length. It could carry up to twenty passengers in addition to the crew of six necessary to pilot the craft; it was defended by four forward cannons and one rear cannon, as well as one of the most durable deflector shields the Empire had ever created.

General Crix Madine had personally overseen not one, but _two_ Rebel Alliance missions to acquire the craft and the security clearance codes it carried. The _Tydirium_ was one of the best ships in its class, and if anything was going to get the Rebels safely down to the forest moon of Endor, it was.

Currently, the _Tydirium_ was sitting in the hangar of the _Home One_, sitting next to the _Millennium Falcon_ and the _Cygnus_. Sora, Kairi, and Riku were walking toward the _Cygnus_, discussing the Rebel Alliance's strategy.

"I don't know, guys." Sora said tentatively, casting a glance back at the _Tydirium_. "I feel like _I_ should be there too. If Luke's really gonna fight Darth Vader again, I should be there to _help._"

"Sora, don't _say_ that!" Kairi exclaimed. "Last time you and Luke fought Vader, you barely came back in one piece!"

Riku nodded. "She's right. Besides, you're the best pilot out of anybody here, and Lando needs all the help he can get. Me and the king can go with Luke."

"Last time I fought Vader, I was already _hurt_!" Sora argued. "I can _beat_ him this time!"

"_Sora_," Kairi entreated, "I don't wanna risk _losing_ you again! Not when the baby's only three months from being born."

"This is for your own good," Riku pointed out, "or King Mickey wouldn't have suggested it. This way, you can help out and keep an eye on Kairi at the same time."

Sora's eyes moved from Riku to Kairi and back again. He couldn't help but smile as he agreed, "All right, you talked me into it. Just be careful out there, Riku."

"You too, Sora." Riku nodded, firmly shaking his best friend's hand before turning toward the _Tydirium_. "Now I better get back before Donald and Goofy get the best seats."

Leaving Sora and Kairi to prepare for their own part in the upcoming conflict, Riku made his way to where the _Tydirium_ still sat. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian were waiting not too far away from the shuttle's landing ramp, directly between it and the _Millennium Falcon_.

"Look," Han said, gesturing to the _Falcon_, "I _want_ you to take 'er. I _mean_ it! _Take_ 'er! You need all the help you can get—she's the fastest ship in the fleet."

"All _right_, old buddy." Lando conceded, laughing a bit at Han's insistence. "I know what she means to you. I'll take _good_ care of her; she—she won't get a scratch. All right?"

Han nodded, though he still looked a bit uncomfortable parting with his beloved ship. "Right." said he before he began to walk away. He managed to set one foot on the _Tydirium'_s landing ramp, then stopped and turned to face Lando once more. "I got your _promise_. Not a _scratch_."

"Would you get going, you pirate?" Lando chuckled. After he and Han exchanged salutes, he felt compelled to add, "Good luck."

"You too." Han returned before finally entering the _Tydirium_.

Han Solo was the last one to board the shuttle. The _Tydirium_'s cockpit contained six seats, arranged in three rows of two. Chewbacca sat in the copilot's seat in the front row, leaving the pilot's chair for Han. Luke sat directly behind the pilot's chair, with the seat to his right reserved for Leia. The last two seats were occupied by Riku and King Mickey, while C-3PO and R2-D2 stood close at hand.

Leia, Taran, Donald, and Goofy were in the main hold of the _Tydirium_, briefing the twelve Rebel commandos in Han's charge. These commandos, led by Major Bren Derlin, had been hand-chosen by Han Solo due to their exemplary performances during the evacuation of the Rebel base on Hoth. These men had what it took to get the job done right, which was exactly what Han needed.

"You got' er warmed?" Han Solo asked as he made his way toward the pilot's seat.

"She's coming up." Luke nodded.

As Han finally sat down and began to make necessary adjustments, he saw that Chewbacca was having difficulty figuring out the controls. Chewbacca growled in annoyance, to which Han replied, "Yeah, well I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed 'er, Chewie."

As Han waited for the _Tydirium_ to warm up, he made the mistake of looking out the cockpit window. There, just out of reach, was the _Millennium Falcon_. Han stared at it wistfully as he began to picture the ship flying into combat without him at the controls. _Not a scratch_, Han thought to himself, praying that Lando would keep his promise, _not a scratch…_

So deep was Han in his nostalgia that he did not hear Princess Leia coming up behind him. He gave a startled jolt as she placed her hand upon his shoulder and murmured, "Hey… you awake?"

"Yeah, I just got a funny feeling." Han sighed. "Like I'm not gonna see 'er again."

Seeing Han so distressed about his little ship brought a wry smile to Leia's lips. "Come on, General." she said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Let's move."

Han shook off his thoughts of the _Millennium Falcon_ and did his best to focus. "Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece o' junk can do. Ready, everybody?"

"Ready when you are, Han!" King Mickey nodded.

"All set." Luke agreed.

R2-D2 bleeped in the affirmative. C-3PO only groaned, "Here we go again."

The engines ignited, and the _Tydirium_ flew from the hangar. Han maneuvered the shuttle around the remaining Rebel cruisers until there was nothing in front of the craft but empty space. "All right, _hang on_." Han warned. With a flick of a switch, the _Tydirium _lurched forward before rocketing off into hyperspace.

They were on their way.

* * *

The Rebels weren't the only ones preparing from the coming attack.

High above the surface of Endor's forest moon, the _Death Star II_ loomed like a black cloud over all it surveyed; TIE fighters flew around the space station like bees patrolling their hive. An especially high concentration of fighters orbited the topmost part of the Death Star, where a single tower stood one hundred stories above the station's surface.

Atop this tower, Emperor Palpatine himself stood in his throne room.

Palpatine stood near a massive throne overlooking the room, with control panels built into the arms for easy access. Directly behind the throne was a great circular window, which cast almost the only light in the room. However, the window also cast heavy shadows over Palpatine's throne, making him seem even more wicked and frightening than before when he sat down upon it.

The throne was located at the far end of a large platform. Stairs descending from this platform led down to the elevators and observation gallery; aside from a few colored lights from various consoles, everything else was black and gray.

Palpatine was gazing out the circular window as he contemplated his strategy. Several Imperial dignitaries stood behind him, watching him in silence and awaiting his command. Darth Vader ascended the stairs leading up to the throne and approached his master, giving the emperor's other guests no notice as he did so. When he at last reached the throne, Darth Vader asked respectfully, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Send the fleet to the far side of Endor." Palpatine replied. "There it will stay… until called for."

"What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?" Vader queried.

"It is of no concern." Palpatine told him. The emperor could sense Darth Vader's desire to meet his son again as soon as possible—a distraction that, unless tended to properly, would surely be the ruin of Palpatine's plans. To assuage his apprentice's growing doubts, Palpatine added, "Soon the Rebellion will be crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us. Your work here is finished, my friend. Go out to the command ship and await my orders."

Only one more thing troubled Darth Vader's mind: "And the Keybearers?"

"They have interfered in the affairs of this galaxy for long enough." Palpatine spat. "They will be hunted down and destroyed. Should any of them choose to accompany Skywalker when you bring him before me, they will be cut down without mercy upon arrival. You have your instructions, Lord Vader… now I expect them to be carried out."

Vader bowed deeply. "Yes, my master."

Vader turned around and headed back toward the elevator at the far end of the throne room. Palpatine moved to consult with his dignitaries. The finer details of this battle still needed to be worked out, but it was shaping up quite nicely.

The emperor had a little _surprise_ for the Rebellion—one they would not discover until it was far, _far_ too late.

* * *

**A/N: The end. And the next chapter begins the brutally lengthy Battle of Endor, so don't touch that dial!**

**A gentle reminder: PLEASE REVIEW! That last chapter brought us up to an astonishing 199 reviews, meaning that I only need ONE MORE to reach my goal of two hundred. The lucky reader to be Reviewer #200 will receive a free breath of air! YAAAAY! In all seriousness, I thank everyone for their helpful reviews, and hope to get around to reviewing stories myself before too long.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


	20. Speeder Bikes and Savage Bears

**A/N: Here we are, the slightly overdue Chapter 20. I do hope that everyone had a very merry Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanza, or whatever), and I now offer this chapter as a belated Christmas gift from me to you. Sorry... no refunds or exchanges.**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Speeder Bikes and Savage Bears**

The _Tydirium_ at last pulled out of hyperspace and into the Endor system. There, just outside the atmosphere of Endor's forest moon, was the menacing _Death Star II_… but it wasn't alone. It was accompanied by Darth Vader's massive flagship, the _Executor_, as well as a pair of _Imperial_-class Star Destroyers.

To say that Han Solo was not nervous would be untrue. Still, he kept a steady hand and a cool head as he slowly maneuvered the _Tydirium _toward the forest moon. "If they don't go for this," Han muttered, "we're gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewie."

No sooner had Chewbacca let out a growl of acknowledgement than did the _Tydirium_'s comlink crackle to life. "_We have you on our screen now_." said the voice of an Imperial controller in a flat monotone. "_Please identify_."

Han leaned forward in his seat and tried to sound as professional as he could. "Shuttle _Tydirium_ requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."

"_Shuttle Tydirium,"_ the controller stated, "_transmit the clearance code for shield passage_."

Han heaved a sigh. "Transmission commencing."

"Now we find out if that code was worth the price we paid." Leia muttered.

"Nice to see you have so much confidence." Riku retorted.

Han looked back to his friends in the cockpit and said with a much certainty as he could muster, "It'll work. _It'll work_."

Until now, Luke and Mickey had sat in silence during the slow, anxious ride. However, after a brief pause in the conversation, Luke blurted out, "_Vader's_ on that ship."

"Now don't get jittery, Luke." Han warned. "There are a lot o' command ships."

"No." Mickey said firmly. "I feel it too: _darkness_. Comin' from _that_ ship… and even more from the Death Star."

Han didn't like to admit it, but Luke and Mickey were probably right. They usually were. As a precautionary measure, he told Chewbacca, "Keep your distance, Chewie—but don't _look_ like you're trying to keep your distance."

Chewbacca growled, wondering just _how_ he was supposed to pull that off.

"_I don't know_!" Han snapped defensively. "Fly casual!"

Suddenly, the ship's comlink activated once more. "_Shuttle Tydirium,_" the voice of the Imperial controller barked, "_what is your cargo and destination?_"

Han took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself before answering, "Parts and technical crew for the forest moon."

The comlink deactivated, and again there was silence.

Luke's face suddenly grew pale. He could sense Darth Vader aboard the _Executor_, but now he could also feel that Vader sensed _him_. "I'm endangering the mission." he murmured. "I shouldn't have come."

"I dunno, Luke." Mickey assured him. "Maybe you'll _save_ us. If you're Darth Vader's son, maybe that'll keep 'im from attacking the ship."

"It's your imaginations, guys." Han told them both. "Come on, let's keep a little _optimism _here." But as the comlink stayed silent and the _Tydirium _drew closer to the _Executor_, even Han's optimism began to fade. "They're not goin' for it, Chewie."

And then, a miracle: the comlink crackled to life once again, and the Imperial controller informed everyone, "_Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course._"

Relief washed over the face of every man, woman, droid, and Wookiee aboard. "Okay!" Han declared, leaning back in his seat with renewed confidence. "I _told_ you it was gonna work. No problem!"

Luke still seemed troubled as he looked out the cockpit window, staring at the massive _Executor_. Darth Vader had let him and his friends go… but for what purpose? Was it indeed because Vader was a good man at heart, and could not bear to destroy his own son? Or was it because the Dark Lord of the Sith had an even _more_ sinister plan in mind?

Either way, thinking about it was enough to send a shiver down Luke's spine.

* * *

The topography of the forest moon of Endor was exactly as its name suggested: _forest_. Though home to sizable deserts and grassy plains, Endor's moon was covered almost entirely with mighty pine and redwood trees. The _Death Star II_'s deflector shield generator was located deep within this woody labyrinth, and it was here that the first stage of the Rebel Alliance's strategy was to be carried out.

Han Solo touched the _Tydirium _down a good distance from the shield generator so as to avoid meeting too many Imperials at once. Han Solo had exchanged his black vest for a green duster more suitable for forest camouflage. Luke, Leia, and the commandos under Han Solo's command wore green helmets and fatigues, and all but Luke wielded a blaster rifle. Riku, Mickey, Taran, Donald, and Goofy remained in their usual, less camouflage-oriented ensembles (much to the chagrin of the rest of the Rebels). Donald and Goofy gripped their weapons tightly, but the Keybearers did not yet call their blades. Now was not the proper time.

As Han and his motley band of warriors trudged through the forest, they soon discovered that finding the shield generator would not be as easy as they had thought. The enormous trees grew so close together that it was usually impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

It was not long before Han and his team reached the crest of a hill near where the _Tydirium_ lay hidden. Near the top, Han gestured for everyone to halt. As the commandos all assumed crouching positions, C-3PO—from his position at the very back of the procession—muttered to R2-D2, "Oh, I told you it was dangerous here!"

Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Mickey, Riku, and Taran followed Han up to the very top of the hill. Upon the hill lay a fallen tree covered in moss, a perfect place for the companions to hide and survey the area. And what they saw was not comforting.

Below, two Imperial scout troopers milled about on foot. Outfitted with lighter, more flexible armor than Stormtroopers, scout troopers were specially equipped to handle operations that required stealth or speed as opposed to brute force. Their helmets were equipped with powerful macrobinoculars so that they could see in nearly any situation, and rectangular visors shielded the scout troopers' eyes from the glare of sunlight.

Next to the scout troopers was a pair of 74-Z class speeder bikes—small brown vehicles designed for reconnaissance and battlefield situations that required a good deal of speed. Ventrally located blaster cannons provided the craft with enough firepower to make it a tangible threat, and not one that the Rebels wished to engage.

"Should we try and go around?" Leia whispered.

"It'll take _time_." Luke warned. Time was not something that the Rebels had to spare, but risking detection might spoil the entire operation. It was a hazardous task either way, but choosing the lesser of two evils had become an ordinary thing for Luke and his friends.

"There are only two of them." Taran pointed out. "Surely we are a match for them."

"Hold it, Taran." Riku cautioned. "Regular soldiers don't give off enough darkness for me to smell. I have no idea how many there might be hiding somewhere."

"I don't think we have a lot o' choice." King Mickey sighed. "We gotta get past 'em _somehow_, and _fast_."

"This whole party will be for nothing if they see us." Han pointed out. "Chewie and I'll take care of this—you stay here."

Everyone looked at Han skeptically. He was more of a "charge in with guns blazing" kind of guy, and stealth was definitely _not_ his strong point. "_Quietly_." Luke said firmly. "There might be more of them out there."

"Hey," Han assured him with a wink, "it's _me_."

"Somehow, I don't feel any better." Riku muttered.

Everyone watched with bated breath as Han and Chewbacca slowly made their way down the hill under the cover of the trees. They were actually doing well for themselves, and Han managed to creep up mere _feet_ behind the first scout trooper. Slowly, he closed in, taking one step… two… three…

_Snap!_

A twig broke under Han's booted heel. The scout trooper whipped around and delivered a powerful slap to Han's jaw. Han was sent reeling backward onto the ground. "Go for help!" the scout trooper shouted to his partner. "Go!"

"_Great_!" Luke muttered as the second scout trooper sprinted toward his speeder bike. "Come on!"

Riku, Mickey, and Taran all summoned their keyblades. Riku and Mickey leaped gracefully over the felled tree and into the unfolding skirmish, but Taran had to follow Luke and Leia as they took the long way around. Chewbacca leaped out from behind a nearby tree and aimed his Wookiee bowcaster at the escaping speeder bike. His first shot narrowly missed the scout trooper, but the second flew straight into the speeder bike's engine. The speeder bike slammed into a log, sending the scout trooper flying over the handlebars and onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

Han was up in a flash, and was already engaging the first scout trooper. Riku and Taran started toward him, but they were stopped by the sound of Mickey Mouse's voice. "Look over there!"

Indeed, Mickey's sensitive ears had detected another pair of scout troopers in the trees only a few yards away. "Two more of them!" Leia shouted, rushing toward the nearby speeder bike that had belonged to the scout trooper Han was engaging.

"I see them—_wait_! _Leia_!" Luke shouted, but it was too late to slow the princess down now. Luke had barely enough time to hop onto the back of the speeder bike before Leia grasped the accelerator.

Mickey Mouse knew that this would be his last chance. He gathered all of his strength and leaped into the air, landing gracefully on the very rear of the bike as it accelerated forward. Behind him, he could hear Han shout, "Hey! Wait!"

Mickey shook his head, though by now Han was too far away to see. Riku and Taran were there to keep an eye on things; right now, Mickey's duty was to help Luke and Leia—something easier said than done. The speeder bike was capable of reaching five hundred kilometers per hour; it wasn't going quite that fast, but it was breaking four hundred by the time the two scout troopers came into view once again. Luke clung tightly to Leia's waist as they raced on, weaving through trees and dodging boulders. Mickey's small stature forced him to stand on the speeder bike's rear, but he kept his left hand firmly on Luke's shoulder to support himself. His right hand held his keyblade at the ready.

As they gained upon the two fleeing scout troopers, Luke shouted to Leia, "Quick! Jam their comlink! Center switch!"

But even as Leia flicked the switch, the scout troopers accelerated until they were almost out of sight. "Move closer!" Luke called, and Leia squeezed the throttle for all she was worth. The craft zoomed forward at top speed, easily catching up to the scout troopers. But then, Luke had an idea.

One of the scout troopers had fallen a bit behind the other, and looked as though it was trying to catch up. "Get alongside that one!"

As Leia brought her speeder bike directly beside the scout trooper's, Mickey finally realized what Luke had in mind. Although the scout trooper was easily within striking distance of Mickey's keyblade, his death would have meant forfeiting the bike. That wasn't what Luke wanted at all.

Now, the scout trooper was starting to play dirty. He rammed the side of his bike against Leia's, attempting to knock her and her two passengers off. But when the scout trooper reared back for a more forceful bump, Luke seized the opportunity. He leaped from Leia's bike onto the scout trooper's, grabbing hold of the scout trooper's helmet as he did so. With the helmet in his grasp, Luke twisted hard; the sudden jerk caused the scout to fall off his speeder bike, slamming into a nearby tree with bone-shattering impact as the bikes passed.

Luke now had a speeder bike all to himself.

As Mickey moved to a more advantageous position on the bike he and Leia shared, two more bike-mounted scout troopers burst forth from the forest undergrowth. Unlike the previous scouts, however, these troopers had no intention of escaping.

The two new scouts raced after Luke and Leia, remaining a fair distance behind them. One of the scouts fired his speeder's laser cannon at Leia; his aim was true, and it would have destroyed Leia's engine if Mickey hadn't deflected the blast with his keyblade.

Luke looked back at the two scout troopers behind him, then at the one that remained ahead. "You take that one!" Luke called to Leia, indicating the one in front of them. "I'll take these two!"

Luke slammed hard on his brakes, causing the two scout troopers chasing him to suddenly zoom past. Taking advantage of their confusion, Luke set his sights on one of the scout troopers and fired his cannon. The blast hit the side of the scout trooper's bike and forced it to careen into a nearby tree in a spectacular explosion.

Meanwhile, the other scout trooper had managed to gain on Leia and Mickey's bike. Mickey trusted Leia to get the one ahead, but the one behind was going to be a problem. After deflecting two shots from the scout's cannon, Mickey decided that he wouldn't give the trooper the chance to fire a third. Mickey raised his keyblade into the air and cast a Thundaja spell. Lightning ripped through the sky and struck the scout trooper's bike, blowing it up in a fiery conflagration. However, Luke had been forced to brake hard to avoid getting caught in the blast; Leia and Mickey zoomed so far ahead of him that he was no longer visible among the trees.

Leia was still in hot pursuit of the scout trooper in front of her. Still, after a few moments of fruitlessly trying to bob and weave through the forest to get a clear shot, the princess decided it was time for a new tactic. "Hold on!" she called to Mickey as she pulled back on the speeder bike's handlebars. Mickey had just enough time to dismiss his keyblade and put his arms around Leia's waist before the speeder bike rose up into the air. Flying above the boulders and felled trees in her path, Leia was able to gain ground on the scout trooper until she was almost directly above him. She smirked as she saw the scout trooper glance behind him, no doubt thinking he'd lost his pursuer.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Leia leaned forward, causing her speeder bike to swoop down upon her unsuspecting target. She fired a shot or two from her blaster cannon, but the scout trooper had already regained his bearings; he easily dodged everything Leia threw at her.

Leia's bike came to a stop just above the ground, and now ran directly alongside the scout trooper. Leia put as much distance between her bike and the scout's as she could, intending to ram him at the nearest opportunity. Before she could do so, however, the trooper reached for a holster in his boot and removed from it a small blaster pistol.

Mickey let out a gasp and tried to summon his keyblade, but he could not move quickly enough. The scout trooper aimed a single, precise shot at the engine of Leia's bike. Knowing that such a hit was fatal to even the best of speeder bikes, Leia let out a yelp and leaped from the damaged vehicle, with King Mickey following close behind. The two landed just far enough from the bike to watch it careen into a tree a few feet ahead and erupt into a blossom of flame.

As soon as Mickey was on his feet, he looked on as the scout trooper sped along his merry way. A bit angry and _very_ determined not to let the scout trooper inform anyone of the Rebels' presence on Endor, King Mickey thrust out his left hand. A Gravija spell appeared just beneath the scout trooper's bike and pulled it to the ground with such force that it immediately shattered into a thousand flaming bits of shrapnel. The scout trooper, needless to say, did not survive.

With that final threat gone, King Mickey looked back to see Princess Leia still lying upon the ground. She gave Mickey one quick glance before she lost consciousness. That bike chase had taken its toll, and the nasty fall at the end hadn't helped matters.

King Mickey smiled warmly and sat down beside Leia. The others would come searching for them soon enough, he knew, and he could keep watch until then. He had little choice—his friends were counting on him. And so, King Mickey Mouse settled into the soft grass near Leia and began to wait…

* * *

Riku was _bored_.

Riku, Taran, Han, ad Chewbacca still stood at the base of the hill where the initial conflict with the scout troopers had begun. Now, the Rebel commandos (along with Donald, Goofy, C-3PO, and R2-D2) had also positioned themselves around the area; the Rebels remained on high alert, but the duck, dog, and droids seemed just as bored as Riku was.

Riku felt a bit misused, having to sit and wait while Mickey got to help Luke and Leia. Still, if Han's _last_ plan was of any indication, the man definitely needed someone to look after him. And since Riku was usually the one to baby-sit everyone else, he was probably best-qualified for the job. In fact, compared to _some_ people, Riku was handling his boredom rather well.

"_Aww!_" Donald groaned, his bill drawn into a weary frown. "What are we gonna do?"

"Not much left _to_ do, Donald." Riku told his feathered friend. "We can't do this without the king—or Luke and Leia."

"Well, if they're not back in ten minutes," Han said impatiently, "I'm goin' after 'em."

No sooner had the words escaped Han's lips than did a low tootle issue from R2-D2's dome. "Oh," C-3PO translated, "General Solo! Somebody's coming!"

Han and most of his comrades took cover in the undergrowth, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. Riku, on the other hand, stood directly in the center of the forest clearing, the Way to the Dawn keyblade appearing in his hand. Things were about to liven up, one way or another…

Suddenly, Han's voice broke through the silence with a shout. "Luke!"

Sure enough, Luke Skywalker came trotting into view, looking tired and out of breath. With a wry smile, Riku dismissed his keyblade. Though he was glad to have Luke back safely, he'd secretly been looking forward to a little action.

Han Solo had none of these things on his mind, it seemed. As soon as he'd clambered out of his hiding place, his first question was, "Where's Leia?"

Luke's eyes widened. "She didn't come back?"

"I thought she was with you." Han answered gravely.

"We got _separated_!" Luke offered in his own defense. "We better go look for her."

Han whipped around and pointed to the lead commando, Major Bren Derlin. "Take the squad ahead." he ordered. "We'll meet at the shield generator at 0300."

"Come on, Artoo." Luke told his little astromech droid. "We'll need your scanners."

"What are _we_ doing, Master Riku?" Taran asked eagerly, looking up at his master.

Riku shook his head. "_I'm_ going with Han and Luke. _You're_ gonna watch out for Donald and Goofy as they go with the commandos."

Taran was awestruck. Had he _really_ heard what he'd _thought_ he heard? Was Riku _really_ expecting him to do this without his master's guidance? If it were indeed true, then it would be the first time Taran had _ever_ been on a mission without Riku.

"But Master," Taran pleaded, his mouth still agape, "_why_?"

"We want a Keybearer on every front, if we can help it." Riku explained. "Besides, you know Donald and Goofy better than any of these commandos—you know how to keep them out of trouble."

Upon hearing this, Donald let out an indignant quack. "Hey! _Who_ keeps _who_ outta trouble?"

Goofy put a hand on his short-tempered friend's shoulder. "Y'know, Donald, I think Riku's right."

"Aww, phooey!" Donald grumbled, but he said nothing more.

Riku looked Taran squarely in the eye. "This is your chance to prove yourself—the chance to see what you can _do_ with everything me and Mickey taught you." With a grin, Riku added as an afterthought, "And when you get back to Prydain, this'll be your chance to tell Eilonwy all about how _great_ you did without old Master Riku bringing you down."

Taran's face turned a deep red. "Well… I suppose that's true…"

"You'll be fine." Riku assured him. "Now we gotta go."

And so Han, Luke, Riku, Chewbacca, and the two droids trekked deeper into the forests of Endor's moon. "Don't worry, Master Luke!" C-3PO called from the rear of the procession. "We know what to do!" To R2-D2, he added disdainfully, "And _you_ said it was pretty here! _Ugh_!"

As soon as the six companions were out of sight, Major Bren Derlin led the commandos in the opposite direction; Taran cast a wistful glance behind him as he followed. He wasn't _ready_ for this… he wasn't prepared for the burden of being the _only_ Keybearer in a group.

_This will not end well_. Taran thought as he marched on. _Not well at all_.

* * *

Deep within the forests of Endor's moon, stalking about like a hungry predator searching for its next kill, a savage hunter was on the prowl. He carried a crude but deadly spear in his hand, and the sunlight glinted in his dark eyes. He smelled something nearby, and he had every intention of investigating.

The mighty hunter's name was Wicket, and he was an Ewok.

Ewoks, like Wicket, were creatures that stood just under a meter tall, and they resembled nothing so much as walking teddy bears. Their faces were characterized by small, wet noses and large, perfectly round eyes. Wicket wore an orange hood over his brown-furred body; atop the hood, little slots had been cut out to accommodate Wicket's fuzzy round ears. Their tubby little bodies were attached to thick arms and legs

However, though Ewoks were cute and cuddly at a glance, they were not to be trifled with. The average Ewok was strong enough to overpower a grown man, and the Ewoks' skills with simple weapons were unparalleled. They were very close to the forest around them, and didn't take kindly to being disturbed. That was why Wicket was out exploring now, trying to get a better idea of what he and his kind were up against.

Wicket soon came across the wreckage of a downed speeder bike and moved in to investigate. Near the wreckage, he spotted two figures: one of them was a human female clad in green, who seemed to be unconscious; the other was a creature unlike any Wicket had ever seen. It had enormous, round ears as black as pitch, and its long, stringy tail swayed a bit in the light forest breeze, indicating that the creature was quite relaxed.

Wicket didn't trust this creature at all.

Wicket moved into position behind the big-eared creature and readied his spear, hoping to catch it unawares. But when Wicket thrust his weapon at the creature's head, the spearhead met only empty air.

King Mickey Mouse had sensed the danger and leaped out of striking distance in the nick of time. He flipped over Wicket's head and landed just a few feet behind him. When Wicket turned around to try to engage the creature a second time, Mickey did not raise a hand against him. He could see that this Ewok was not evil—only a bit frightened. And why not? Mickey could imagine that Wicket had never seen anything like _him_ before.

King Mickey smiled gently as he spoke to the Ewok. "Uh… hey there, little fella." The greeting may have seemed a bit strange, since Mickey and Wicket were the same height (including Mickey's ears), but it seemed appropriate just the same. Wicket's small body and large eyes made him appear very cute, even to Mickey, and the words "little fella" captured this sentiment quite plainly.

Wicket cocked his head to one side, and a small chittering noise escaped his lips. Apparently, he didn't quite know what to make of Mickey. He looked strange and spoke a language Wicket did not understand, but he seemed friendly enough. He hadn't yet tried to shoot him, like those evil warriors in white Wicket had seen, so that was a definite plus.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya." Mickey promised, slowly approaching. "I'm a friend!" Mickey knew that Wicket didn't speak his language, so he tried to convey his intent with the tone of his voice and the gestures of his hands.

Wicket seemed to understand that. The tone, the body movements… Mickey's very _presence_ seemed to indicate warmth and friendship. Wicket lowered his weapon and allowed Mickey to come near.

"See?" Mickey chuckled. "We're pals already. Now let's go wake Leia up so _she_ can meet you too."

Wicket followed Mickey as he slowly made his way to where Leia's unmoving form still lay. Again seeing Mickey's intent through his voice and gestures, Wicket decided to help his new friend out. To wake Leia up, he quickly jabbed her with his spear.

Leia let out a gasp and shot bolt upright. "Cut it out!" she cried, not knowing to whom she spoke until after the words had passed her lips.

Wicket didn't take kindly to being shouted at. He gripped his spear tightly and pointed its business end at Leia, letting out a low growl as he did so.

Leia sighed and gave a small smile. She had heard of the Ewoks before, of what savage and primitive hunters they all were… but nowhere had anyone mentioned how _adorable_ they were. Wicket tilted his head curiously to one side, as he'd done with Mickey; however, he kept his spear firmly trained on Leia.

Leia groaned and rose to her feet. She hadn't landed as gracefully from her fall as King Mickey had from his, and her sides still ached. "Easy, Leia." Mickey warned her. "He's a little skittish."

"I've noticed." Leia remarked dryly. Wicket didn't like her tone, and he chattered at her in his own language to tell her that. He growled and waved his spear in a threatening manner as Leia moved to sit down upon a nearby log. "I'm not gonna hurt you." she assured the little Ewok.

Wicket still didn't look certain of that, but he moved warily to stand upon the log beside her. It was an improvement, at least.

"Well," Leia remarked, "looks like we're stuck here."

"But we don't really know where _here_ is." Mickey explained to Wicket, also moving to join Leia on the log. He looked hopefully into Wicket's eyes and asked, "Think you can help?"

Leia patted the space on the log beside her. "Come on. Sit down."

Leia's voice had softened a bit, but it was still not as gentle as Mickey's. Wicket growled at Leia and pointed his spear at her again, looking from her to Mickey and back again.

"Aww, it's all right." Mickey urged him. "She's my friend too."

Wicket shot a questioning look at Mickey, as though he were questioning Mickey's odd taste in friends, and still looked reluctant to move.

"I _promise_ I won't hurt you," Leia entreated, "now come here."

Leia's tone had been a bit sharper than Wicket liked, and he growled at her with renewed apprehension.

Leia finally decided that, since she couldn't get through to the Ewok Mickey's way, she would try another method: through his stomach. "All right." she said at last, reaching into one of her pockets. "Want something to eat?" From the pocket, she removed a piece of one of the ration bars she carried with her. She held this out to Wicket, hoping for the best.

Wicket seemed distrustful at first, but after mulling it over for a moment, he decided the risk was worth taking if there was food involved. He lowered his spear and moved closer to Leia, standing beside her on the log. "That's right." Leia encouraged him with a smile. "Come on."

As soon as Wicket reached Leia, he quickly snatched the bit of ration bar with one hand, still gripping his spear with the other. He put the bar to his button nose and sniffed it a little, making sure it wasn't poisoned, then took a nibble. Finding it to his liking, he plopped down right next to Leia and quietly munched on his snack.

King Mickey smiled as he sat down on Leia's other side. Wicket finally trusted them both now, it seemed, which meant he might be inclined to help them find their way.

Now that everyone was being peaceable, Leia took the opportunity to remove her helmet. Thinking that Leia might be producing a deadly weapon from atop her head, Wicket leaped down from the log and growled, dropping his half-eaten ration bar so that he might hold his spear with both hands. "Uh-oh!" Mickey gasped.

Leia held out the helmet for Wicket to see. "Look! It's a _hat_. It's not gonna hurt you—look."

Wicket stared blankly at the "hat" for a moment, unsure of what to make of it. At last, he clambered back onto the log and took the helmet, just to make sure it wasn't a threat. Before he could get a good look, though, he suddenly dropped the helmet and clutched at his spear, whipping around to gaze into the forest as he did so.

"What is it?" Leia asked confusedly.

"I think he smells danger." Mickey explained, taking note of the way Wicket was looking and sniffing about. "And not just your hat this time."

Suddenly, a blaster bolt erupted from among the trees and smashed into the log where everyone was sitting. Wicket and Leia instinctively took cover behind the log, but King Mickey stood fast. His keyblade appeared in his hand in a flash of light, and his ears perked up. When a second blaster bolt came, Mickey easily batted it aside. Behind him, Wicket crawled underneath the log for safety, while Leia poked her head back out—in her hand was a blaster pistol, cocked and ready to fire. Something was out there, all right… and it _wasn't_ friendly.

"Freeze!"

A scout trooper had emerged from the forest and pointed his blaster at Leia. King Mickey whipped about so quickly that he nearly lopped off the scout trooper's head, but he knew better than to do so just yet. Judging from those last two blaster shots, there were others nearby.

"Come on!" the scout trooper barked at Leia, hand reaching to confiscate her weapon. "Get up!"

Now that Leia was disarmed, the scout trooper kept his blaster trained on Mickey. Each could have killed the other with the squeeze of a trigger or the slash of a keyblade, but neither king nor scout moved. Both of them only stood there in silence, each seemingly waiting for some unspoken signal.

Just as Mickey had predicted, a second scout trooper emerged from the undergrowth a moment later. "Go get your ride." the first scout trooper told the second. "Take them back to base."

"Yes, sir!" the scout trooper nodded, vanishing into the forest again.

Mickey still bided his time. It seemed that they were wanted alive, so no violence would take place unless either Mickey or Leia provoked it. Leia couldn't do much without a weapon, and Mickey wanted both scout troopers together before he tried anything. And so they waited a bit longer.

Suddenly, a low _thump_ met Mickey's ears. Wicket had tapped the scout trooper's leg with his spear, and the scout looked down with a surprised cry of, "What the—"

That was as far as he got before Leia struck him with a good-sized hunk of wood she'd found on the forest floor. As the scout trooper fell, Leia began searching for her confiscated blaster. Mickey turned his gaze in the opposite direction. That other scout trooper was due back any second…

As soon as the second scout burst into view, mounted on his speeder bike, King Mickey thrust out his palm and cast a Firaja spell at him. A flaming sphere the size of a basketball slammed into the side of the scout's speeder bike, causing it to explode on impact. The bike belonging to the _other_ scout trooper was caught in the blast, and it too erupted in a blossom of fire.

Leia and Mickey nodded to each other as the explosions died down, and Wicket poked his fuzzy head from underneath the log. "Great teamwork, fellas!" Mickey congratulated his friends, but the danger was not quite over. More scout troopers stationed nearby may have heard the commotion. Mickey, Leia, and Wicket needed to be good and _gone_ by the time they arrived.

"Come on." Leia told her companions. "Let's get outta here."

However, as Leia began to trek deeper into the forest, Wicket tugged at her wrist and pointed in the opposite direction. "I think _he_ wants to go _that_ way." Mickey said with a laugh. "We should probably listen."

Leia silently agreed and allowed Wicket to lead the way. Thus, they set forth through the trees, wondering where Wicket might be taking them and whether they would be able to reunite with their friends.

Through it all, no one bothered to recall that Leia's helmet still lay abandoned on the forest floor, right where Wicket had dropped it.

* * *

On the _Death Star II_, Darth Vader slowly entered Emperor Palpatine's throne room for the second time that day. Palpatine's Imperial dignitaries were gone, which left the room even colder and emptier than before.

Vader didn't mind the emptiness. He was long used to that.

Emperor Palpatine was gazing out the throne room's massive window, his throne swiveled so that its back faced the door. But even though Vader couldn't see Palpatine's face, he could sense that the emperor was not happy.

Palpatine did not bother turning around as he spat, "I told you to remain on the _command ship_."

Darth Vader wasn't going to be dismissed that easily. "A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and landed on Endor."

This time, Palpatine _did_ face Vader. As his throne swiveled around so that the emperor could get a better view, the look on his face was one of annoyance. "Yes, I know." he retorted. "I also know that several Keybearers accompanied them."

Darth Vader was surprised that Palpatine had suddenly taken so much interest in the Keybearers, but that was not why he had come. With certainty that surprised even Palpatine, Vader said, "My _son_ is with them."

"Are you sure?" Palpatine questioned, his voice betraying his curiosity.

Darth Vader still sounded quite sure as he stated, "I have _felt_ him, my master."

Palpatine paused for a moment before finally answering, "Strange that _I_ have not. I wonder if your feelings on this matter are _clear_, Lord Vader."

Darth Vader suspected, as Palpatine must have, that his close connection to his son enabled him to sense his presence more easily. And he could not deny that he had wondered… only _occasionally_… if he could indeed choose to put his own flesh and blood through everything the emperor intended. Still, he did his best to remind himself that it would be for the best. "They are clear, my master."

"You have shown a great deal of _mercy_ in recent months, Lord Vader." Palpatine reminded him. "You failed to kill either Luke or Sora during your duel on Bespin, and you allowed the Rebels to land on Endor without incident. I am aware that many of the Keybearers were once your _friends_, and that your connection to young Skywalker is _strong_."

"My time with the Keybearers is long past." Darth Vader assured his master. "And I will do whatever is necessary to see that my son is turned."

"Then you must go to the sanctuary moon and wait for him." Palpatine instructed him.

Darth Vader sounded surprised. "_He_ will come to _me_?"

Now, it was Palpatine's turn to be certain. "I have foreseen it. His compassion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you, and then you will bring him before _me_… as well as the allies that are sure to join him."

This news seemed to lighten Vader's mood. He was _very_ close to being reunited with his son… he could feel it deep within his cold, ironclad heart. "As you wish, my master." he said with more enthusiasm than he'd shown in a long time.

Palpatine swiveled his throne so that he could gaze out the window again. Everything was falling into place. The Rebellion would be crushed and the Keybearers would be eliminated… then Luke, in his grief, would turn to the dark side of the Force.

All was proceeding according to plan.

* * *

**A/N: El fin. The end... of this chapter, anyway.**

**A gentle reminder: PLEASE REVIEW! We have, thanks to profound efforts of readers like you, exceeded our goal of 200 reviews. As Shadow of an Empire slowly draws to a close, I believe that, with effort, we might reach 250 before the end. But even if we don't, I remain thankful to everyone who supplies me with the much-needed feedback that pushes me forward.**

**Until next time, Lord Moldybutt signing off.**


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